Skip to main content

Full text of "The Journal of the Quekett Microscopical Club"

See other formats


S>UWe. 


fAiUOitto 


LM 


THE      JOURNAL 


OF     THE 


(tafcjjtt 


Microscopical    Club. 


EDITED    BY 


HENRY      F.      HAILES. 


C< 


SERIES. 


VOLUME   II. 


H 


0 


s 


woods 
hole, 

MASS. 


Uontion: 

[Published    for    the    Club.] 

WILLIAMS    and    NORGATB 
14,    Henrietta    Street,    Covent    Garden,    London, 
and  20,  South  Frederick  Street,  Edinburgh. 


THE    JOUKNAL 


or    THE 


Qntkttt    Ulurosnrpual    €lnh. 


On  an  undescribed  Acarus  of  the  genus  Myobia. 
By  A.  D.  Michael,    F.L.S.,    F.R.M.S.,  &c. 
Read    April  25th,    1884. 
^  PLATE    I. 

Some  short  time  since  the  Revd.  C.  R.  N.  Burrows,  of  Brent- 
wood, Essex,  sent  me,  for  examination,  a  specimen  of  an  Acarus 
which  he  had  found  parasitic  upon  a  bat  of  the  common  small 
species,  Scotophilus  pipistrellus,  which  he  had  obtained  from  a 
cavern  in  Gloucestershire. 

Mr.  Burrows  recognised  the  mite  as  belonging  to  the  genus 
Myobia,  and  suspected  that  it  was  unusual ;  I  at  once  saw  that  it 
was,  as  far  as  I  know,  undescribed,  and  that  it  was  sufficiently  dis- 
tinct and  interesting  to  merit  a  notice.  I  have  a  great  objection  to 
describing  any  species  relying  solely  upon  a  single  specimen;  it 
unfortunately  is  not  possible  to  avoid  doing  so  sometimes  ;  but  this 
necessity  has,  in  my  opinion,  been  the  source  of  numerous  and  per- 
plexing errors  in  zoological  works.  Moreover,  in  most  creatures  as 
high  up  the  scale  of  organization  as  the  Acari,  a  single  specimen 
can  only  belong  to  one  sex  ;  and  the  sexes  differ  in  several  respects 
in  Myobia.  I  therefore  begged  Mr.  Burrows  to  try  and  obtain 
further  examples,  and  he  was  good  enough  to  take  great  trouble  in 
the  matter.  An  organized  bat-hunt  was  commenced  in  the  caves, 
and  the  results  were  sent  to  Mr.  Burrows.  He  forwarded  to  me  a 
living  specimen  of  Scotophilia  pipistrellus,  but,  although  it  was  very 
interesting,  both  for  itself  and  its  parasites,  it  was  not  the  host  of 
any  Myobia?.  Mr.  Burrows  examined  about  six  specimens  of  the 
Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  9.  b 


A.    D.    MICnAEL    ON    AN    UNDESCRIBED 

same  Bpecies,  and  one  of  the  long-eared  bat,  Plecotus  auritus,  all 
from  the  same  locality,  but  with  the  like  negative  result.  The 
Chiroptera  above-named  were,  however,  accompanied  by  six  speci- 
mens of  that  much  rarer  member  of  the  order,  Ehinolophus  hippo- 
sideros  (the  lesser  horse-shoe  bat),  and  upon  three  of  these  the  same 
Myobia  was  found,  although  not  abundantly.  I  have  thus  had  the 
Opportunity  of  examining  seven  or  eight  specimens,  some  of  each 
B<  w  but  unfortunately  not  any  immature  stages. 

The  first  notice  we  possess  of  the  singular  creature  which,  up  to 
the  present  time,  constitutes  the  only  known  species  of  Myobia  is 
due  to  Schrank,*  who  called  it  Pediculus  minis  musculi,  and  classed 
it  a  long  way  from  the  position  which  it  has  now  assumed.  The 
name  Myobia  (from  the  Greek  yuus,  a  mouse,  and  /3iow,  Hive)  was 
given  by  Heyden,f  and  it  is  from  this  name,  which  has  been 
generally  accepted,  that  that  author's  most  puzzling  work  on  the 
Acarina  will  be  chiefly  remembered. 

C.  L.  Koch,  of  RegensburghjJ  found  the  creature,  as  indeed,  he 
found  most  others  which  have  any  title  to  be  called  Acarina  ;  but 
that  most  industrious  collector  was  not  equally  painstaking  in 
searching  prior  authorities,  and,  not  recognising  that  he  was 
dealing  with  Schrank's  species,  he  gave  his  supposed  discovery 
a  new  name,  and  introduced  it  to  the  world  as  Dermaleichus 
lemnivs ;  thereby  putting  it  in  a  genus  which  it  certainly  did  not 
belong  to,  although  he  was  a  good  deal  nearer  than  Schrank  had 
been.  From  Koch's  error  arose  another  by  an  even  better-known 
zoologist,  Gervais,||  who  gives  Schrank's  Pediculus  muris  musculi  us 
a  synonym  of  Koch's  Sarcoptes  musculinus,  which  is  really  a  My  copies, 
instead  of  a  svnonvm  of  that  author's  Dermaleichus  lemnius,  which 
it  actually  is.  This  error  was  repeated  by  van  der  Hoven  §  and 
others,  until  Claparede^  turned  his  attention  to  Myobia,  and 
pointed  out  what  the  real  synonyms  were.  It  is  to  this  beautiful 
work   that    we   owe   the   chief  part  of  what  we  know  concerning 

*  *'  Enumeratio  insectorum  Austria  indigenorum."  Augastre  Vindeli- 
corum,  1781,  p.  501,  t.  i.,  Figs.  5-7. 

t  "  Versuch  einer  systemstischen  Eintheilung  der  Acariden."  "  Oken's 
Isip,''  1828,  p.  613. 

J  "  Dentechlanda  Crustaceen,  Miriapoden  und  Arachniden."  Regensburg, 
L834-9  (forming  Hefts  1  to  40  of  Heinrich  Schafer's  "  German  Insects "), 
Sef1  ;;:;,  PI.  v. 

|  "  llistoiic  natiirclle  des  insects,  Apteres."    Walckcnaer,  t.  iii.,  p.  265. 

$  "  Bandbnch  der  Zoologie"  i.,  p.  550. 
•    "  Studien  an  Acariden."     Zeir.  Wigs.  Zooh,  Band  IS  (1868),  p.  519. 


ACARUS    OF    THE    GENUS    MYOB1A.  6 

Myobia,  which  evidently  struck    Claparede    as    being  one  of  the 
strangest  creatures  that  he  had  met  with. 

There  certainly  are  two  or  three  points  about  Myobia  which  are 
very  curious,  and  justify  the  Swiss  naturalist's  astonishment.  The 
first  of  these  is  that  the  genital  openings  in  both  sexes  are  on  the 
dorsal  surface,  both  on  slight  elevations,  that  of  the  female  not 
being  very  far  from  the  posterior  margin,  while  in  the  male  the 
intromittant  organ  emerges  in  the  median  line  of  the  back  between 
the  second  and  third  pairs  of  legs,  an  arrangement  extremely  un- 
usual in  nature,  although  it  occurs  in  some  few  other  Acarina. 
The  next  point  that  strikes  the  observer  is  the  exceptional  form  of 
the  tarsi  and  claws  of  the  first  pair  of  legs.  Myobia  lives  upon 
hairy  mammals,  and  the  front  tarsi  and  claws  are  developed  into 
broad  scoop-like  organs,  each  with  a  curved  hook  projecting  from 
it,  the  whole  forming  a  most  efficient  apparatus  for  holding  on  to 
the  hairs  of  the  host. 

The  third  matter  which  is  rather  exceptional  is  that  the  claws  of 
the  second,  third,  and  fourth  pairs  of  legs,  although  didactyle,  are 
unequal  (on  each  leg).  Of  course,  a  tridactyle  claw  with  the 
central  unguis  different  from  the  lateral  ones  is  common  enough, 
but  a  didactyle  claw  with  the  two  ungues  unequal  is  somewhat 
rare. 

As  before  stated,  the  Myobia  hitherto  known  was  supposed  by  its 
discoverer,  and  most  subsequent  naturalists,  to  be  a  parasite  of  the 
mouse  only,  although  it  did  not  appear  to  be  confined  to  any  par- 
ticular species  of  mouse,  being  found  both  on  field-mice  and  house- 
mice,  perhaps  most  abundantly  on  old  specimens  of  the  latter. 
During  the  last  two  or  three  years,  however,  a  Myobia  has  been 
found  upon  the  mole,  which  does  not  appear  to  differ  from  that  of 
the  mouse  in  any  respect  except  its  somewhat  greater  size  ;  and  no 
acarologist  has  as  yet  ventured  to  make  two  species  of  them,  so 
that  Myobia  musculi  still  remains  the  sole  representative  of  the 
genus. 

The  finding  of  a  species  of  Myobia  on  the  bat  is  not  wholly  devoid 
of  a  certain  quaint  interest,  when  we  remember  that  the  early 
zoologists  looked  on  the  bats  as  a  link  between  birds  and  quadru- 
peds, and  that  Linnams  classed  them  amongst  the  Primates ; 
while,  on  the  other  hand,  the  popular  instinct  in  most  languages  has 
usually  associated  them  with  mice,  whence  came  such  names  as 
"  Rere-mouse  "  (from  the  Anglo-Saxon  "  rau-an,"  to  raise  or  rear 


4  A.    I>.    MICHAEL    ON    AN    UNDESCRlBED 

np),  and  "  Flittcr-mouse  "  in  English,"  Fleder-maue  "  in  German, 
"  Chauve-souris  "  in  French,  &c. ;  and  that  modern  classification 
places  the  bats  between  the  mice  and  the  moles,  certainly  with  the 
squirrels  and  a  few  other  things  between  the  mice  and  the  bats,  but 
very  close  together. 

This  phase  of  the  subject  does  not  quite  end  here,  for  upon  the 
squirrel  is  found  another  parasite,  which,  although  clearly  different 
from  Myobia,  is  yet  nearly  allied,  namely,  Listrophorus,  which  is 
also  a  mouse-parasite,  and  which,  in  spite  of  the  marked  resem- 
blance which  it  bears  to  Myobia,  is,  at  present,  placed  in  a  different 
main  division  of  the  Acarina  by  the  exigencies  of  modern  classifica- 
tion, the  order  being  now  usually  divided  into  two  primary  groups, 
the  Tracheata  and  the  Atracheata.  The  two  genera  unfortunately 
are  separated  by  this  classification  of  Dr.  Kramer's,  which  is 
probably  the  best,  because  Myobia  possesses  well-marked  and  even 
conspicuous  trachea?,  chiefly  consisting  of  a  main  tracheal  trunk  on 
each  side  of  the  body,  considerably  branched,  and  ending  anteriorly 
in  two  stigmata  near  the  base  of  the  rostrum  ;  while  in  Listrophorus 
trachea?  have  not  been  discovered  as  yet. 

^fyobia  is  evidently  a  true  parasite,  living  permanently  upon,  and 
at  the  expense  of  its  host  ;  the  whole  life-history  of  the  creature  is 
known,  and  its  embryology  and  subsequent  changes  have  been  ably 
investigated  by  Claparede,  who  did  not  usually  leave  much  for  other 
people  to  do  after  him  ;  and  the  whole  round  of  existence  was  found 
to  be  passed  upon  the  unfortunate  mouse,  or  other  vertebrate,  which 
the  acarid  has  selected  for  its  board  and  lodging.  The  mouth- 
organs  of  Myobia  are  essentially  those  of  a  creature  feeding  upon 
its  host,  being  composed  of  two  lancet-like  maxilla?  lying  together 
in  a  soft  tube  or  lip,  and  forming  a  piercing  and  sucking  organ,  but 
without  capturing  organs,  such  as  are  found  in  the  Trombidiino?, 
Cheyleti,  Gamasida?,  and  other  rapacious,  predatory  Acarina,  whose 
palpi  or  mandibles  are  converted  into  seizing  organs. 

It  remains  to  consider  the  name  which  should  be  given  to  the 
present  species.  The  much  greater  numbers  which  have  been  taken 
on  tlir  Rhinolopkus  would  seem  to  point  to  adopting  that  genus  as 
ii  basis  for  the  specific  name  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  one  specimen 
was  found  on  tin-  Scotophilus,  and  the  experience  is  hardly  yet  suffi- 
cient to  justify  a  conclusion  as  to  what  bats  are  infested  by  it  ;  nor 
inusl  it  l>e  forgotten  that,  where  bats  are  abundant,  they  usually 
lijliernate   in   caverns,   or  other   suitable  places,    in   closely-packed 


Journ.  Q.M.C. 


Ser.E.Vol.2.Pl.  1 


4. 


■ 


i  St 


My  obi  eliiropt-er-ali 


ACARUS    OF    THE    GENUN    MYOBIA.  0 

masses,  hanging  from  the  walls  or  roof  of  the  place,  or  even  from 
each  other,  and  that  these  masses  have  been  found  to  consist  of 
several  species,  if  found  in  the  neighbourhood;  so  that,  if  the  para- 
sites can  live  on  various  bats,  they  would  be  likely  to  become  pretty 
widely  distributed.  For  these  reasons  I  have  not  thought  it  desir- 
able to  select  a  genus  of  bats  for  the  foundation  of  the  specific  name, 
and  provided  it  be,  as  I  imagine,  unrecorded,  I  propose  to  call  it 
Myobia  chiropteralis. 

Myobia  chiropteralis.     Sp.  nov.,  PI.  I. 

I  do  not  think  it  necessary  in  this  description  to  detail  the 
numerous  points  in  which  the  species  is  similar  to  the  well-known 
M.  musculi,  and  which  are,  in  effect,  generic  characters  ;  but  only 
to  point  out  the  particulars  in  which  the  new  species  differ  from  that 
previously  known,  so  as  to  facilitate  identification. 

There  is  far  less  variation  between  the  sexes  in  this  creature  than 
in  the  Myobia  of  the  mouse,  the  form  of  the  males  and  females 
being  nearly  similar. 

The  principal  differences  from  M.  musculi  are  that  M.  chiropteralis 
is  the  longer  and  narrower  in  form,  and  that  the  hairs  on  its  dorsal 
surface  are  far  more  spatulate  than  those  of  the  mouse-parasite,  and 
mostly  terminate  in  very  long  points,  so  that  they  really  cover  up 
the  greater  part  of  the  notogaster.  The  great  holding  claw  of  the 
first  leg  also  differs,  and  there  are  other  minor  distinctions. 

Myobia  chiropteralis. 

Female  (Fig.  1). 
Average  length  about     ... 

„         greatest  breadth  about 

„         leugth  of  legs,  1st  pair  about... 

,,  ,,  ,|       _1HI      ,,  ,,       ...  ... 

,,  ,,  j,     orcl    ,,        ,,     ...  ... 

n  >>  >>      ^0.     >>         >> 

„  ,,  anal  hairs       „    ...         ...     '35      ,, 

The  form  is  longer  and  comparatively  narrower  than  in  M.  musculi, 
less  wide  over  the  third  pair  of  legs,  less  rounded  at  the  posterior 
margin  ;  and  there  is  a  narrower,  slightly-trifid  projection  for  the 
anus,  which  is  absent,  or  but  slightly  indicated,  in  M.  musculi. 

The  most  striking  characteristic  of  the  species  consists  in  the 
hairs  on  the  back,  which,  instead  of  being  straight  and  spike-like, 
as  in  the  mouse-parasite,  are  broadly  spatulate,  and  are  drawn  out  to 


'53 

mm. 

'20 

M 

06 

It 

09 

If 

10 

)> 

12 

>> 

b  A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    AN    UNDESCRIBED 

points,  which,  in  some  of  the  hairs,  are  of  extreme  length,  and  are 
curved,  or  doubly-curved.  These  hairs,  or  scales,  vary  greatly, 
hardly  any  two  (except  the  corresponding  hairs  on  the  opposite 
sides  of  the  body)  being  alike.  The  arrangement  (which  is  not 
quite  the  same  as  in  M.  musculi)  is  as  follows  : — 

There  are  five  pairs  down  the  centre  of  the  back,  of  which  the  first 
and  fifth  pairs  are  less  spatulate  than  the  others.  On  each  side  of 
each  of  the  first  three  of  these  pairs  is  a  hair  or  scale,  thus  forming 
three  transverse  rows  of  four,  of  which  the  lateral  are  not  quite  in  a 
line  with  the  central  pair;  the  lateral  are  the  largest,  the  anterior  of 
them  (Fig.  10)  being  far  the  broadest  and  the  posterior  (Fig.  11) 
the  longest  on  the  dorsum.  These  hairs  have  longitudinal  ridges 
running  along  them  ;  there  are  seven  or  eight  of  these  ridges  on  the 
broadest  hairs,  and  two  or  three  on  the  narrowest.  In  addition  to 
these  there  is  an  irregular  circle  of  spike-like  or  rod-like  spines,  some 
more  or  less  curved,  set  round  the  vulva,  which  is  placed  on  a  consider- 
able elevation  near  the  posterior  end  of  the  creature.  The  spatulate 
hairs  cover  up  the  greater  part  of  the  dorsal  surface,  and  they  do  not 
appear  to  be  attached  in  the  ordinary  mode  of  that  class  of  hair  or 
scale,  i.e.,  by  a  peduncle  springing  from  the  proximal  edge,  and  con- 
tinued in  the  plane  of  the  scale,  but  are  almost  sessile,  the  peduncle 
being  very  short  and  thick,  and  placed  underneath,  and  at  right- 
angles  to,  the  scale,  the  point  of  attachment  being  the  centre  of  the 
curve  formed  by  the  proximal  end  of  the  scale;  thus  the  peduncle 
shows,  in  optical  transverse  section,  through  the  semi-transparent 
scale. 

The  claw  of  the  first  leg  (Fig.  6)  varies  considerably  from  the 
same  part  in  M .  musculi,  being  much  broader  and  more  truncated 
and  scoop-like,  and  the  hook-like  or  curled  portion,  which  curves 
under  the  hair  of  the  host  which  the  parasite  is  clinging  to,  being 
smaller  and  narrower  in  proportion  to  the  whole  claw,  if  indeed  this 
vice-like  apparatus  can  be  called  a  claw  at  all.  The  expanded 
lamina  of  the  claw  is  semi-transparent,  but  has  a  curious  branched 
thickening  running  along  its  upper  surface,  a  spine  being  inserted  in 
most  of  the  places  where  a  branch  strikes  the  periphery  of  the  claw. 
There  is  a  short  truncated  spine  behind  the  claw,  and  a  strange 
chitinous  piece  behind  that,  like  somewhat  more  than  half  a  hollow 
sphere,  both  like  those  in  M.  musculi,  but  not  quite  so  large  in  pro- 
portion, and  not  quite  identical  in  form. 

The  claw  of  the  second   leg  (Fig.  7)   is  didactyle,  and  is  the 


40 

mm. 

•14 

ii 

•7 

»> 

•9 

it 

12 

>> 

•15 

tt 

•42 

ii 

ACARUS    OF    THE    GENUS    MYOBIA.  7 

smallest  of  all  ;  the  claws  are  unequal,  but  there  is  a  clear,  chitinous, 
curved,  blunt-ended  rod  attached,  larger  than  the  ungues  themselves. 
The  claws  of  the  third  leg  (Figs.  8,  9),  and  of  the  fourth  leg,  are 
slightly  curved,  unequal,  didactyle,  and  considerably  larger  than 
those  of  the  second  pair. 

The  hairs  on  the  ventral  surface  are  spike-like,  as  in  M.  musculi. 

The  Male  (Fig.  2,  under-side). 

Average  length  about 

„  greatest  breadth  about... 

„  length  of  legs,  1st  pair  about... 

ii  ii               ii     ^na     ,,  ,,  ...          ... 

ii  ii               >i     o^d      pi  ti  "• 

ii  ii               n     ^tn      „  ,,  ...          ... 

„  ,,              „  anal  hairs  ,,  ... 

The  male,  it  will  be  seen,  is  smaller  than  the  female,  but  is  of 
much  the  same  form,  except  that  its  legs  and  anal  hairs  are  longer 
in  proportion  ;  it  is  therefore  considerably  narrower  in  shape  than 
the  male  of  M.  musculi,  which  is  broader  in  proportion  to  its  length 
than  the  female, 

The  whole  of  the  above  observations  relative  to  the  hairs  of 
the  female,  except  those  round  the  vulva,  and  as  to  the  tarsi  and 
claws,  will  apply  equally  well  to  the  male. 

The  genital  opening  (Fig.  3)  is  placed  on  the  anterior  side  of  an 
elevation  far  forward  on  the  dorsal  surface,  being  between  the  second 
and  third  pairs  of  legs.  It  consists  of  a  small  aperture  with  slight 
labia?,  and  is  protected  by  a  horse-shoe-shaped  chitinous  piece,  not 
unlike  the  sternite  near  the  vulva  of  most  Dermaldchi,  but  less 
developed  ;  it  is  surrounded  by  several  short  spines.  The  penis 
(Fig.  4)  is  an  organ  of  remarkable  size  ;  it  is  usually  retracted 
almost  wholly  into  the  abdomen,  and  then  nearly  touches  the  hind 
margin,  its  point  being  directed  forward  ;  it  is  a  strong,  hollowed 
rod,  of  dark  chitin,  slightly  curved,  with  the  concavity  upward,  and 
the  rod  is  strongly  bent  upward  near  the  tip,  the  actual  tip  being 
again  turned  forward.  At  its  posterior  end  it  has  attached  to  it  a 
somewhat  elaborate  framework  of  curved  levers,  the  form  of  which 
will  be  best  understood  by  the  drawing.  It  will  be  evident  that 
muscles  pulling  the  posterior  ends  of  these  levers  forward  and  down- 
ward would  produce  the  motion  required  for  extrusion. 

As  far  as  could  be  judged  from  the  present  experience,  the  numbers 
of  males  and  females  appeared  about  equal. 


8 


On  the   HexactinellidjE. 
By  B.  W.  Priest. 

Read  May  23rd,  1884. 

PLATES  II.,  III. 

The  order  of  Sponges  to  which  I  wish  to  draw  your  attention  this 
evening,  and  to  which  I  briefly  alluded  in  a  former  paper  on  the 
Histology  of  Sponges  generally,  is  one  which  comprises  some  of  the 
most  interesting,  as  well  as  the  most  beautiful  in  structure  of  that 
class  of  the  Animal  Kingdom. 

As  early  as  1833  two  or  three  forms  were  already  known  and 
described,  first  by  MM.  Quoy  and  Gaimard,  and  subsequently  by 
Stutchbury  and  others. 

But  it  was  not  until  the  results  of  the  deep-sea  explorations 
which  were  instituted  between  the  years  1860  and  1870,  and 
followed  up  to  the  present  time,  became  known,  that  any  idea  of 
the  number  of  species  of  that  order  were  arrived  at. 

Some  of  the  species  are  now  pretty  well  known,  being  repre- 
sented in  several  of  our  museums  by  the  so-called  Venus'  Flower 
Basket,  the  Glass  rope  Sponge,  the  Birds'  nest  Sponge,  and 
others,  all  of  which  were  well  displayed  at  the  late  Fisheries  Ex- 
hibition, and  most  of  the  typical  species  are  now  to  be  seen  at  the 
Natural  History  Museum  at  South  Kensington. 

In  1867  the  late  Dr.  Gray  proposed  the  term  Coralliospongia 
for  the  order.  This  answered  at  the  time,  as  most  of  the  sponges 
then  known  and  comprised  under  that  arrangement  were  hard  and 
coral-like,  the  skeleton  entirely  formed  of  siliceous  spicules  anchy- 
losed  together  by  siliceous  matter,  forming  a  netted  mass  covered 
with  Barcode.  When,  however,  other  forms  were  found,  it  became 
necessary  to  alter  this  classification.  Dr.  Oscar  Schmidt  proposed 
to  distinguish  the  whole  series  under  the  title  of  Hexactinellidce, 
from  the  fact  that  all  the  species  shared  in  common  the  possession 
of  hexradiate  spicules. 

In  1870  Mr.  Saville  Kent  took  the  same  view,  placing  Dr. 
Gray's  name,  Coralliospongice,  as  a  sub-order  to  Dr.  Schmidt's  pri- 


B.    W.    PRIEST    ON    THE    HEXACTINELLIDCE.  J 

mary  one,  and  forming  a  new  sub-order,  the  Callicispongice,  the 
former,  Coralliospongice,  comprising  those  sponges  with  a  siliceo- 
fibrous  skeleton,  the  latter  those  whose  skeleton  is  composed  of  an 
interlacing  spicular  formation,  never  reticulate  and  continuous. 

Later  on,  in  1875,  Mr.  Carter,  whose  classification  will,  I  think, 
still  hold  good,  retained  the  order  Hexactinellidce  of  Schmidt, 
dividing  it  into  three  families  : — First,  the  Vitreo-hexactinelhdce,  or 
those  sponges  whose  spicules  are  held  together  by  silicified  fibre  ; 
secondly,  the  Sarco-hexactinellidce,  or  those  whose  skeleton  spicules 
are  held  together  by  amorphous  sarcode  ;  and  thirdly,  the  Sarco- 
vitreo-hexactinellidce,  or  those  whose  spicules  are  held  together  in 
one  part  by  vitrified  fibre,  and  in  the  other  by  amorphous  sarcode, 
and  which  at  present  contains  only  one  species.  These,  again,  are 
divided  into  six  groups,  namely,  Patulina,  Tubulina,  Scopirfifera, 
Rosettifera,  Birotulifera,  and  the  single  species,  Euplectella  cucumer 
of  Owen,  in  the  third  Family. 

In  all  the  Hexactinellidce  known  we  find  a  minute  flesh  spicule  in 
the  form  of  a  rosette,  which  may  be  defined  as  an  equi-armed, 
sexradiate  spicule,  from  the  ends  of  whose  arms  proceed  a  certain 
number  of  rays,  which,  although  the  same  on  each  arm  of  the  speci- 
men, vary  in  form,  number,  and  arrangement  with  the  species,  but 
always  project  from  the  ends  of  the  arms.  These  spicules  often 
afford,  in  conjunction  with  others,  a  means  of  specific  distinction. 
When  I  say  that  the  spicules  are  formed  on  the  hexradiate  plan,  I 
mean  that  there  is  a  primary  axis,  which  may  be  long  or  short,  and 
at  one  point  four  secondary  rays  cross  this  central  shaft  at  right 
angles.  Often  one  halt  of  the  central  shaft  is  absent  or 
shortened,  or  is  represented  by  a  rounded  boss,  and  we 
have  then  a  spicule  with  a  cross-shaped  head,  an  often  occurring 
form  in  the  defence  and  ornament  of  the  surface  layer  of  these 
sponges.  Sometimes  the  secondary  rays  may  be  partially  or 
wholly  undeveloped,  which  occurs  in  young  spicules  and  others 
which  are  slightly  abnormal,  but  in  their  place  may  be  seen  four 
little  elevations  near  the  middle  of  the  spicule,  maintaining  the  per- 
manence of  the  type. 

In  some  cases  a  fifth  ray  is  developed,  as  in  the  surface  layer  of 
Holtenia  Carpenteri.  At  the  distal  end  of  the  central  shaft  a  rosette 
similar  to  the  flesh  spicule  may  be  found,  as  in  Euplectella  and 
Dendrospongia. 

Those  sponges  which  are  found  in  the  deep  water  ooze,  as  most 


10  B.    W.    PRIEST    ON    THB    BBXAOTIFELLIIXJE. 

in  this  order  are,  anchor  themselves  by  means  of  delicate  glassy  Ali- 
ments, like  fine  white  hair  or  spun  glass,  which  in  case  of  the 
Hyalonema,  or  Glass  rope  Sponge,  sends  down  through  the  soft 
mud  a  coiled  wisp  of  strong  spicules,  each  spicule  about  as  thick  as 
a  moderate  sized  needle,  which  opens  out  into  a  brush,  and  fixes 
the  sponge  in  its  place.  The  ends  of  these  spicules  are  supplied 
with  an  anchorate  or  grapnel  form  of  termination. 

In  the  case  of  Euplectella  aspergiilum,  the  late  Sir  Wyville 
Thompson  tells  us  that  this  sponge  is  imbedded  up  to  its  fretted  lid 
in  the  grey  mud  of  the  seas  of  the  Phillippines. 

In  a  short  paper,  as  the  present  one  must  be,  I  can  only  just 
touch  on  one  or  two  of  the  sponges  contained  in  the  first  two 
families  of  this  order,  hoping  at  some  future  time  to  bring  others 
before  your  notice. 

First,  then,  taking  an  example  of  a  sponge  held  together  by 
silicified  fibre,  we  have  Euplectella  aspergiilum,  Euplectella  being 
derived  from  two  Greek  words  signifying  "  well- woven." 

Most  of  you  are  familiar  with  the  cornucopia-shaped  sponge,  that 
at  first  sight  can  hardly  be  imagined  to  have  been  formed  by  any 
member  or  aggregation  of  members  so  low  in  the  Animal  Kingdom, 
but  so  it  is,  and  the  structure  being  so  intricate,  I  shall  take  my  de» 
scription  from  Mr.  Carter. 

"  It  has  its  spicular  basket-work,  both  of  the  body  and  lid, 
throughout,  cemented  together  by  an  envelope  of  vitreous,  ladder- 
like fibre,  which  ladder-like  fibre  in  a  horny  state  is  also  a  pecu- 
liarity of  some  of  the  Keratose  sponges.  The  main  lines  of  spicules 
are  longitudinal  and  transverse,  so  that  cutting  each  other  at  right 
angles  and  at  nearly  equal  distances,  they  leave  a  number  of 
squarish  areas  in  the  intervals,  occupied  alternately  by  round  holes 
and  matted  basket-work.  Through  this  arrangement  the  squares 
with  holes  and  basket-work  respectively  form  diagonal  lines,  again 
crossing  each  other,  but  now  obliquely  and  somewhat  spirally  round 
the  body  ;  while  a  number  of  compressed  ridges  or  frills,  about  a 
quarter  of  an  inch  high,  formed  of  the  same  kind  of  vitreous 
spicular  structure  as  the  rest  of  the  sponge,  run  along  in  more  or 
less  continuous  spiral  lines,  obliquely  through  the  squares  of  matted 
basket-work,  leaving  those  with  holes  free  between  them,  finally  ter- 
minating above  in  a  line  which  encircles  the  lid-like  end,  where  the 
latter  is  joined  to  the  body.  The  lower  end,  on  the  other  hand, 
which  is  also  closed,  but  of  a  conical  form,  similar  to  the  end  of  a 


B.    W.    PRIEST    ON    THE    HEXACTINELLIDJ5:.  11 

conical  sac,  is  enveloped  in  a  bunch  of  white  horse-hair-like,  long, 
anchoring  spicules,  respectively  smooth  and  spiniferous,  with  hooks 
at  the  free  extremity  of  the  latter. 

"  The  flesh  spicule,  a  rosette  many-rayed  ;  rays  of  equal  length, 
sigmoid,  clavate,  and  dentate  outwards,  claw-shaped,  flexed  and 
grouped  en  fleur-de-lis,  or  with  rays  of  equal  length,  straight 
and  pointed  ;  occasionally  with  straight  rays,  few,  and  terminated 
by  three  or  more  spines  at  the  free  ends  laterally."  Those  with  the 
claw-shaped  rays,  or,  as  the  late  Dr.  Bowerbank  called  them,  the 
florocomo-sexradiate  spicules,  are  found  on  the  outer  surface  of  the 
sponge,  immediately  beneath  the  dermal  membrane,  cemented  to 
the  apex  of  the  distal  portion  of  the  central  shaft  of  the  spicules 
forming  the  beautiful  quadrangular  network  surrounding  the  sponge. 
Specimens  are  difficult  to  obtain  with  these  spicules  in  situ,  as  the 
majority  of  the  sponges  have  been  well  washed  before  they  come  into 
our  hands.  When  the  first  specimens  of  Euplectella  were  brought 
to  England  there  was  some  little  contention  regarding  its  place  in 
Natural  History,  some  supposing,  along  with  the  fishermen  who 
dredged  them,  that  they  were  formed  by  some  species  of  Crustacean 
as  many  were  found  with  crabs  in  their  interior ;  but  how  came  the 
creatures  there?  Once  in,  they  could  not  escape,  and  then  again  it  was 
not  always  the  same  species  that  was  found  in  them.  Some  naturalists 
thought  that  the  sponge  belonged  to  the  Alcynoid  family,  forgetting 
the  presence  of  the  polyps  which  characterize  an  Alcyonia.  At  last 
it  was  decided  that  the  Euplectella  was  a  sponge,  and  that  the  crabs 
must  have  obtained  eutrance  when  both  were  in  a  young  stage,  and 
had  grown  up  together.  The  base  of  Euplectella  has  often  much 
sand  and  extraneous  matter  attached  to  the  glassy  filaments  which 
yield  very  rare  Foraminifera  and  other  minute  organisms. 

I  will  now  just  draw  your  attention  to  the  skeleton  framework  of 
Farrea  and  Aphrocallistes,  both  being  comprised  under  the  same 
family  as  Euplectella. 

The  Farreas  are  sponges  more  or  less  tubular  and  branched  ; 
branches  open,  and  slightly  expanded  at  the  free  extremities  ;  walls 
thin,  of  only  one  layer. 

Aphrocallistes  is  also  tubular  and  branched  ;  branches  closed  at 
their  free  extremities  ;  wall  thick  and  formed  of  polyhedrally  reticu- 
lated fibre. 

In  some  of  the  members  of  both  may  be  found  a  scopuline  spi- 
cule distinguishing  the  species. 


12  B.    W.    PRIEST    ON    THE     HEXACTINELLIDiE. 

The  framework  of  both  species  shows  how  the  hexradiate  type  is 
maintained  throughout,  although  at  first  appearance  it  seems  lost  in 
the  process  of  growth. 

You  will  see  that  the  fibre  of  both  is  formed  by  an  extension  of 
silicified  sarcode,  over  a  regular  arrangement  of  sexradiate  spicules, 
indicating  that,  whilst  in  a  young  stage,  what  is  now  siliceous  was 
then  horny,  but  that  during  the  progress  of  growth  of  the  sponge, 
silica  was  deposited,  which  gradually  extending  over  the  fibre,  enclosed 
the  original  spicules.  This  conclusion  was  arrived  at  from  the  fact 
that  in  some  specimens  of  Farrea  occa  and  Aphrocallistes  Bocagei, 
the  anastomosing  fibre  was  charged  with  minute  sex-radiate  and 
scopuline  spicules  of  the  sarcode  imbedded  in  a  confused  way,  show- 
ins:'  that  the  silicitication  of  the  fibre  was  more  or  less  of  a  secon- 
dary  formation. 

Fig.  10,  PI.  Ill,  shows  the  lattice-work  of  Farrea  occa,  Fig.  12, 
the  same  of  Aphrocallistes  beatrix,  and  Fig.  11,  PI.  Ill,  a  frag- 
ment of  Farrea  occa,  after  Carter,  enclosing  a  scopuline  spicule 
with  pointed  rays. 

All  the  sponges  of  this  family  will  stand  boiling  in  nitric  acid, 
losing  only  the  organic  matter,  the  skeleton  coming  out  a  beautiful 
structure  as  if  made  of  the  purest  glass.  Of  course  the  rosettes  and 
minute  spicules  of  the  sarcode  falling  through  the  meshes  and  col- 
lecting at  the  bottom  of  the  vessel,  can  be  washed  with  water  care- 
fully, and  mounted  so  as  to  be  examined  with  higher  powers  than 
can  always  be  used  when  they  are  in  situ. 

We  must  now  pass  on  to  the  second  Family  of  this  Order,  or 
those  sponges  whose  skeleton  spicules  are  held  together  by  amor- 
phous sarcode. 

Perhaps  foremost  will  stand  tlaeHyalonema,  the  now  well-known 
Glass  rope  Sponge,  first  brought  over  from  Japan,  and  described 
by  the  late  Dr.  Gray  in  1835,  subsequently  dredged  off  the 
coast  of  Portugal,  and  since  then  at  various  places  by  the  "Porcu- 
pine," "  Challenger,"  and  other  expeditions.  This  sponge  having 
been  now  so  often  and  well  described,  along  with  the  deceptions 
practised  by  the  Japanese  regarding  its  position,  &c,  I  shall  take 
one  of  a  comparatively  new  genus,  named  Rossella,  after  Sir  John 
Ross,  who  brought  over  a  few  spicules  only.  This  genus  contains 
three  species,  viz.,  R.  Antarctica  (Carter),  R.  Fhillippensis  (Gray), 
and  R.  velata  (Thompson).  Taking  Rossella  Phillippensis,  that 
being  the  specimen  I  have  on  the  table,  it  is,  in  form,  generally  glo- 


B.    W.    PRIEST    ON    THE    IIEXACTINELLID.E.  13 

bular,  or  ovate,  and  occasionally  cup-shaped,  varying  according  to 
age,  presenting  a  somewhat  flattened  summit  in  which  there  is 
an  aperture,  and  a  conical  base  which  is  closed,  but  rendered  irre- 
gular by  mammiform  prolongations  of  the  body,  out  of  each  of  which 
issues  a  hair-like  lock  of  long  anchoring  spicules,  sessile,  or  fixed  by 
the  anchoring  spicules  ;  colour  grey  ;  external  surface  uniformly 
even,  except  where  interrupted  by  the  mammiform  prolongations  ; 
cribbellate  immediately  below  the  lattice-work  layer,  surmounted  by 
one  form  of  spicule  only,  which  issues,  as  before  stated,  in  hair-like 
locks  from  the  summits  of  the  prolongations  ;  internal  surface  of 
the  cavity  uniformly  smooth,  interrupted  by  depressions  so  increas- 
ing in  size  downwards  as  to  occupy  the  whole  of  the  lower  part. 
Structural  spicules  of  the  body  or  wall  of  three  forms  ; — first,  a  nail- 
like or  conically  headed  spicule,  the  shaft  vertically  placed  in  the 
wall,  and  the  arms  spreading  out  horizontally  over  the  external  sur- 
face, so  as  to  support  the  lattice-like  layer  of  minute  sex-radiate 
spicules  imbedded  in  the  dermal  sarcode  ;  secondly,  a  long  linear 
spicule,  often  presenting  in  the  middle  two  or  four  tubercles  corres- 
ponding to  the  ends  of  the  crucial  branches  of  the  sex-radiate  central 
canal,  terminating  in  spines,  and  more  or  less  inflated  extremities, 
but  otherwise  smooth  ;  and  thirdly,  sex-radiates  of  different  sizes, 
with  arms  of  ecpial  length,  spined  and  pointed,  chiefly  composing  the 
lattice-like  structure  and  including  the  right  rosette-like  forms  of 
spicule  of  the  sarcode. 

This  species  has  also  longer  anchoring  spicules  than  the  other  two, 
with  the  four  stout  spines  or  hooks  recurved  and  opposite,  which 
characterises  the  genus  generally  of  Rossella. 

Another  difference  in  the  structure  of  the  species  consists  in  its 
being  without  the  veil  of  singular  and  beautiful  form  which  is  found 
in  the  other  species,  extending  about  a  centimetre  from  the  surface 
of  the  sponge,  and  formed  by  the  interlacing  of  the  four  secondary 
rays  of  the  large  five-rayed  spicules,  which  send  their  long  shafts 
from  that  point  vertically  into  the  sponge  body. 

Figs.  6,  7  and  8,  PI.  Ill,  show  forms  of  rosette  occurring  in 
Rossella,  and  Figs.  5  and  7,  the  free  end  of  the  anchoring  spicules 
characterising  the  genus. 

The  third  family,  or  that  comprising  the  characters  of  the  two 
forms  combined,  and  of  which  only  one  species  is,  as  yet,  known, 
viz.,  Evplectella  cucumer,  I  shall  pass  over,  as  the  sponge  has  been 
well  described  bv  Professor  Owen  in  the  "  Linnean  Transactions  "  for 


14  B.    W.    TRIE8T    ON    THE    HEXACTINELLID^E. 

1857,  and  the  original  sponge  may  now  be  seen  and  examined  at 
South  Kensington. 

Very  little  is  known,  as  far  as  I  can  find,  of  the  life-history  of 
this  order  of  sponges,  the  most,  perhaps,  being  where  Sir  Wyville 
Thompson,  after  describing  Iloltenia  Carpentei-i,  says,  "  When  the 
sponge  is  living,  the  interstices  of  the  silicious  network  are  filled  up, 
both  outside  and  in,  with  a  delicate  fenestrated  membrane  formed  of 
a  glairy  substance  like  white  of  egg,  which  is  constantly  moving, 
extending  or  contracting  the  fenestra?,  and  gliding  over  the  surface 
of  the  spicules.  This  "  sarcode,"  which  is  the  living  flesh  of  the 
sponge,  contains  distributed  through  it  an  infinite  number  of 
minute  spicules,  presenting  the  most  singular  and  elegant  forms 
characteristic  of  the  species.  A  constant  current  of  water  carried 
along  by  the  action  of  cilia  passes  in  by  apertures  in  the  outer  wall, 
courses  through  the  passages  in  the  loose  texture  of  the  intermediate 
sponge-substance,  carrying  organic  matter  in  solution  and  rjarticles 
of  nourishment  into  all  its  interstices,  and  finally  passing  out  by  the 
large  osculum  at  the  top." 

There  is  another  sponge  about  which  there  has  been  much  con- 
troversy as  to  whether  it  should  be  placed  among  the  Hexactinellidce 
or  the  Tethyidce,  viz.,  Dorvillia  agariciformis  of  Kent,  and  Tethyea 
muricata  of  Bowerbank.  This  sponge  has  some  of  the  characters 
of  a  Tethyea,  but  is  certainly  more  closely  allied  to  the  order  we 
have  been  considering.  It  seems  to  be  a  link  between  the  two, 
showing  how  one  species  of  sponge  runs  into  another,  as  we  may  see 
over  and  over  again. 

A  large  number  of  the  Fossil  Sponges  found  in  the  chalk  and 
greensand,  and  known  under  the  name  of  Ventriculites,  belong 
to  the  Hexactinellidce,  and  most  of  them  show  an  octohedral 
knot  structure  in  the  outer  skeleton  ;  but  Mr.  Carter  tells  me 
that  he  only  knows  of  two  existing  species  that  show  the  same 
structure,  viz.,  Myliusia  Grayi,  a  specimen  of  which  is  in  the 
Museum,  and  Myliusia  Zittilii,  from  the  Phillippine  Islands,  of 
which  he  kindly  sent  me  a  fragment." 


DESCRIPTION    OF     PLATES. 

Plate  II. 

Fig.     1,  2,  3,  4. — Typical  spicules  of  the  Hexradiate  order  of  Sponges. 
o  &  7. — Anchoring  spicules  of  llosse'la. 
6. — Anchoring  spicule  of  Pherunema. 


Journ.  Q.K.C. 


\ 


V 


I 


i&*r 


\ 


^ 


A.HSev:      •• 


B.    W.    PRIEST    ON    THE    HEXACTINELLlD^.  15 

8. — Ditto  of  Labaria. 

9. — Ditto  of  Euplectella. 
10,  11  &  12. — Flesh  spicules  of  Evplectella. 
12a. — Floricomo  spicule  of   Euplectella. 
1  2b. — Claw-shaped  end  of  Kay  of  ditto. 
13  &  14. — Scopuliue  spicules  occurring  in  Aphrocallistes. 

Plate   III. 

Fig.     l.—Eossella  Phillippinensis. 

2,  3,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9. — Some  of  the  spicules  of  the  same. 
10. — Lattice-like  framework  of  Farrea  occa. 
11. — Fragment  of  Farrea  occa,  enclosing  a  scopuline  spicule  (after 

Carter). 
12. — Portion  of  skeleton  framework  of  Aphrocallistes  Beatris. 
13. — Portion    of    the    outer    wall    of    a   Yentriculite    showing    the 
octohedral  structure  of  the  silicious  network. 

Note. — In  all  the  flesh   spicules  figured,  the  third  axis,  comprising  the 
fifth  and  sixth  rays,  is  omitted,  in  order  to  avoid  complicating  the  drawing. 


16 


Description  of  some  New  Diatomace^e  found  in  the 
Stomachs  of  Japanese  Oysters,  by  Fred.  Kitton, 
Hon.  F.R.M.S.,  Hon.  Memb.  Q.M.C.  ;  with  a  List  of 
the  Species  observed  by  E.  Grove,  F.R.M.S.  Also  a 
Description  of  some  New  or  Undescribed  Forms  from 
other  Localities,  by  F.  Kitton. 

Read  June  27th,  1884. 

PLATE  IV. 

The  stomachs  of  Oysters  and  other  molluscs  have  frequently 
been  examined  by  Diatomists  in  the  expectation  of  finding  the 
siliceous  skeletons  of  the  Diatomaceae  mixed  with  the  partially 
digested  food  ingested  by  the  mollusc,  among  others  by  Gaillon, 
"who,  in  1820  described  his  Vibrio  ostrearius  (==  Naricida  ostrearia, 
Turpin  =  N.  fusiformis,  Grim.,  var.  ostrearia,  Turpin).  M.  De 
Brebisson  found  a  new  species  of  Amphora  (A.  ostrearia)  in  Cal- 
vados Oysters  (Kiitzing,  "  Sp.  Alg.,"  p.  94),  and  M.  Bornet  says 
that  the  Oysters  in  the  beds  at  the  mouth  of  the  Loire  become 
green  by  feeding  on  N.  fusiformis,  var.  ostrearia  (Grunow  and 
Kitton  in  '-'Month.  Mic.  Jour.,"  1877,  p.  179)  ;  see  also  the  de- 
tails of  M.  Puysegur's  investigations  "  On  the  Green  Colour  of 
Oysters,"  in  "  Revue  Maritime  et  Coloniale,"  Feb.,  1880,  and 
"Trans.  Roy.  Mic.  Soc,"  Vol.  iii,  1880,  p.  931. 

M.  P.  Petit  obtained  from  some  Chinese  Oysters  two  new  species 
Cocconeis  Ningpoensis  and  Triceratium  rostratum  and  two  new 
varieties  Aclinanthes  subsessilis,  var.  enervis,  and  Coscinodiscus 
lineatus,  var.  oculatus,  which  he  figures  and  describes  in  his  paper, 
entitled,  "  Diatomees  sur  les  Huitres  de  Ningpo  et  de  Nimroud 
Sound  (Chine)."  ("  Mem.  de  la  Soc.  des  Sci.  Nat.  et  Math,  de 
Cherbourg,"  t.  xxiii.,  pp.  201,209,  PI.  I,  1881.)  In  addition 
to  the  above  he  detected  72  previously  described  species. 

Last  year  one  of  our  members,  Mr.  G.  Sturt,  availed  himself 
of   the    opportunity    of  purchasing  some  "  tinned  "   Oysters   from 


> 


F.    KITTON    ON    SOME    NEW    DIATOMACE^.  17 

Japan  (of  which  some  cases  had  been  sent  to  the  Fisheries  Exhi- 
bition at  South  Kensington)  for  the  purpose  of  making  a  micro- 
scopic analysis  of  the  contents  of  their  stomachs,  and  as  his 
modus  operandi  may  be  of  service  to  others  who  are  desirous 
of  examining  the  stomachs  of  Oysters  and  other  mollusca,  I 
give  his  directions  for  their  preparation  :  "  After  opening  the  tin 
and  pouring  off  the  liquid  contents,  I  empty  out  the  Oysters  and 
pick  out  the  stomachs  (which  look  like  dark  little  sacs,  and  as  a 
rule  are  free,  or  only  partially  surrounded  by  a  little  fatty  matter, 
which  is  easily  taken  off).  I  then  heat  in  a  flask  to  boiling  point 
five  or  six  ounces  of  nitric  acid,  in  which  I  drop  one  by  one  the 
stomachs,  waiting  until  each  is  dissolved  before  adding  another. 
After  all  have  been  dissolved  I  add  an  ounce  of  hydrochloric  acid, 
and  continue  the  boiling  for  five  minutes,  dropping  in  at  intervals  a 
little  bichromate  of  potash.  I  now  fill  up  the  flask  with  hot  water 
and  empty  the  whole  into  a  large  beaker,  filling  up  with  the  hot  water 
(the  fat  rises  to  the  surface,  and  on  cooling  congeals  on  the  top, 
and  is  easily  skimmed  off).  I  wash  away  the  acid,  using  hot  water, 
and  boil  in  soap  and  water  according  to  Prof.  H.  L.  Smith's  direc- 
tion.* If  this  docs  not  get  rid  of  the  organic  matter,  I  boil  in 
sulphuric  acid  and  chlorate  of  potash." 

In  addition  to  the  numerous  more  or  less  well-known  species 
found  in  these  stomachs,  Mr.  Sturt  detected  several  valves  of  an 
Aulacodiscus,  which  he  exhibited  at  a  meeting  of  the  Club,  held 
Dec.  14,  1883,  as  A.  angulatus,  Grev.  Having  some  doubt  as  to 
the  identity  of  the  two  forms,  he  forwarded  to  me  for  examination 
several  specimens  of  the  form  he  had  found,  and,  on  placing  them 
under  the  microscope,  I  saw  that  they  differed  from  any  published 
species  with  which  I  was  acquainted,  and  a1  so  from  any  of  the 
numerous  specimens  in  my  cabinet.  Under  a  low  power  they 
somewhat  resembled  A,  angulatus  and  A.  am  o?  mis,  Grev.,  but  a 
greater  amplification  (-|)  showed  the  resemblance  to  be  very  slight, 
the  difference  being,  in  my  opinion,  of  sufficient  importance  to  con- 
stitute a  new  species.  I,  therefore,  have  much  pleasure  in  naming 
it  after  the  discoverer. 

Aulacodiscus  Sturtii,  n.  sp.  F.K.  Frustule  cylindrical,  valve 
with  a  large  central  elevation  (usually  flat  on  the  toj>),  not 
bullate    below   the    processes,    processes   placed    on  the  angles    of 

*  The  water  used  for  washing  must  be  filtered  rain  or  distilled  water,  and 
free  from  all  trace  of  acid. —  F.  K. 

Joukn.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  9.  c 


18  F.    KITTON    ON    SOME    NEW    DIATOMACE^. 

the  central  elevation,  furrows  distinct,  pnncta  moniliform,*  radiant 
between  the  margin  and  elevations,  upon  which  they  are  more  dis- 
tant and  less  regularly  radiant.  Diameter,  '0029"  to  62".  PI.  IV. 
Fig.  1.     The  number  of  processes  varies  from  3  to  5. 

The  most  conspicuous  feature  of  this  species  is  the  flat,  elevated 
centre,  aptly  compared  by  a  correspondent  to  a  miniature  fort,  the 
projecting  processes  resembling  the  guns. 

Podosira  maxima,  Kiitz.,  var.  ?  Valve  hyaline,  and  the  punc- 
tate strias  more  distant  than  in  the  type  species. 

P.  maxima,  abnormal.  This  remarkable  monstrosity  cannot  be 
clearly  understood  excepting  by  reference  to  the  drawing.  The  ir- 
regular configuration,  apparently  upon  the  valve,  is  really  below  it, 
and  is  probably  a  malformed  internal  valve.  The  specimen  is  a  frus- 
tule,  of  which  the  upper  valve  appears  to  be  normal,  and  shows  con- 
spicuously the  irregular  "  black  spots  "  which  Herr  Grunow,  in  his 
paper  on  the  "  Caspian  Sea  Diatoms"  ("  J.  R.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  ii.  p. 
689),  says  mostly  mark  the  beginning  of  new  rays  of  puncta,  but 
from  some  observations  I  have  recently  made  on  styrax  mounted 
specimens  this  does  not  appear  to  be  the  case,  an  examination  under 
a  binocular  and  a  power  of  400  diameters,  illuminating  with  a 
paraboloid,  showed  the  black  spots  to  be  trumpet-shaped  tubuli 
extending  in  a  direction  more  or  less  perpendicular  to  the  upper  and 
under  surfaces  of  the  valve,  but  apparently  imperforate,  as  the 
styrax  has  not  penetrated  them,  sometimes  they  appeared  to  be 
composed  of  elongated  vacuoles  like  air-bubbles  rising  through  a 
viscous  medium,  and  which  had  become  suddenly  arrested. 

The  trumpet- shaped  tubuli  are  not  unlike  those  seen  in  a  section 
of  Waldheimia  australis,  or  the  pseudopodal  apertures  in  Globi- 
gerina,  &c.  PI.  IV.,  Fig.  2,  frustule.  Fig.  3,  diagrammatic  section 
of  valve. 

Amphipleura  pellucida,  var.  rectus,  F.  K.  Valve  linear,  margins 
parallel  up  to  the  commencement  of  the  furcate  ends  of  the  raphe, 
when  the  valve  becomes  lanceolate.  Length,  -009  ;  breadth, 
•00075  ;  strire  punctate,  65  in  -00K    PI.  IV.,  Fig.  4.     Rare. 

*  Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  has  called  my  attention  to  the  markings  between  the 
headings,  which  give  a  granular  or  shagreen-like  appearance  to  the  surface 
of  the  valve,  similar  to  that  on  A.,  formosus,  in  the  immature  valves  of 
the  latter  species  they  appear  as  distinct  punctae,  hut  as  the  valve  increases 
in  thickness  they  become  less  apparent.  He  also  informs  me  that  the  Aula- 
codiscus  Havtianvs  shewn  by  him  at  the  meeting  held  Feb.  8,  LS84-  (vide 
Journ.,  Vol.  i,  S.  2,  p.  371),  was  the  above,  Hartianua  being  a  misprint. 


F.    KITTON    ON    SOME    NEW    DIATOMACE.E.  19 

In  this  variety  the  "  porte-crayon  "  terminations  of  the  raphe,  so 
conspicuous  in  Navicula  Lewisiana,  and  more  or  less  so  in  all  the 
species  and  varieties  of  the  Vanheurckian  group,  is  more  distinct 
than  in  the  other  varieties  of  Amphipleura.  ^ 

Navicula  scopulorum,  Breb.  Forma  major.  Valve  punctato 
striate,  about  65  in  -001."  Length,  -008"  to  -009"  ;  breadth  at  centre, 
•0006  to  -00065.  Raphe  and  nodules  somewhat  resembling  Van- 
heurckia  rhomboides.      Rare. 

My  friend,  Mr.  E.  Grove,  F.R.M.S.,  of  Saltburn-by-the-Sea,  has 
very  carefully,  examined  the  Diatomaceous  forms  obtained  from 
these  Oysters,  and  has  kindly  permitted  me  to  append  his  list  to 
my  description  of  the  new  species. 

M.  P.  Petit's  list,  as  previously  stated,  contains  the  names  of  72 
species.  Ours  contains  more  than  100,  exclusive  of  the  new  forms. 
Probably  several  of  those  named  in  the  list  may  prove,  on  further 
examination,  to  be  new  species  or  new  varieties. 


LIST    OF    MARINE    SPECIES   OF    DIATOMACE^E    OBSERVED    BY 
MR.  GROVE  IN  PREPARATIONS   FROM  JAPAN   OYSTERS. 


■£• 


Achnanthes  Inngipes,  A« 

,,  subsessilis,  E. 

Actinocyclus  Ehrenbergii,  Rlfs.     Rare. 
Actinoptychus  undulatus,  E. 

Amphora  marina,  W.  S.  (proteus,  Greg.).     Scarce. 
Arachnoidiscus  ornatus,  E. 

„  Ehrenbergii,  Bail. 

Amphiprora  ahita,  E.  var.  ?. 

„       elegans,  W.  S.     Scarce.     (Qj.,  A.  vitrea.) 
Asteromphalus  Brookei,  Bail.     Rare. 
Auliscus  ccelatus,  Bail.     Scarce. 
„        pruinosus,  Bail.     Rare. 
,,        Stockhardtii  ?     Fragments  only. 
Biddulphia  aurita,  Breb. 

„  reticulata,  Rop. 

Bribissonia   Weissflogii,   Gran.   var.  ?     (Qj.,   Schizonema  Grevilleii,W.  S. 

large  form.) 
Camjjylo discus  dcemelianus,  Grim. 

„  echene'is,  Ebr.     Scarce. 

„  undulatus,  Grev.     Rare. 

„  grceffii,  Gren.  var.,  "  Atl."  xvi.,  2.     Rare. 

„  biangulatus,  Grev.     Rare. 


20  F.    KITTON    ON    SOME    NEW    DIATOMACE^. 

Cocconeis  scittellum,  E. 

,,  „  var.  ornata,  Grnn.     (Qy.,  C.  Morrissii,  W,  S.) 

„        diijjliana,  W.  S.  ? 
„         intermedia,  Gran.  ? 
,,        distant,  Greg.     Scarce. 
Cosci/todiscus  o  cuius -iridis,  E. 
„  centralis,  E.  var. 

„  omphalanthus,  E.  ? 

„  radi'du9,  E. 

„  heteroporus,  E. 

,,  eccentricus,  E. 

„  svbtilis,  E. 

„  subconcavus,  E.  ? 

„  subglobosus,  Grnn. 

,,  armatus,  Grev.  ?     Scarce,  small  form. 

Cyclotella  Dallasiana,  W.  S.     Rare. 
Denticula  lauta,  E.  ?     Scarce. 
Epithemia  rniiseulus,  E. 

Gomphonema  (Rhoikospliema)  mavinum,  W.  S. 
Grammatophora  marina,  K. 

„  hamuli f era,  K. 

Mastogloia  exigua,  Lew.     Rare. 
JSlelosira  sulcata,  E. 
Navicula  i?ite?'rupta,  K.     Rare. 

,,         didyma,  E.     Rare  (small  form). 
,,         Smithii,  Breb. 
,,         prcetexta,  E.     Rare. 
,,         spectabilis,  Greg.     Rare. 
,,         carinifera,  Grun.,  "  Atl."  i.,  Fig.  2. 
,,         Bailey  ana  t  Grun. 
,,         (Scoliopleura)  convexa,  W.  S. 
,,         directa,  W.  S. 

,,         liber,  W.  S.     Also  a  var.  with  central  stigmata. 
,,         yarrensis,  Grun.     Rare. 
„         aspera,  E.  (Stauroneis  pulchella,  W.  S.). 
„         bleischii.     Rare. 
,,        formosa,  Greg.     Rare. 
,,        peregrina,  E.     Small  form. 
,,         scopulorum,  Breb. 
Nitzschia  (Tryblionella)  punctata. 

var.   (jranulata,  Grnn. 
,,  gracilis,   Hantzscb.    vars.     A  small  hyaline  form. 

(Qy.,  Tryb.  debilis,  W.  A.). 
„  constrict  a,  Greg.     Scarce. 

panduriformis,  Greg.     Rare. 
jelineckii,  Grun.     Rare. 


>»  >> 


F.    KITTON    ON    SOME    NEW    DIATOMACE  JS,  21 

Nitzschia  socialis,  Greg. 

,,         annularis,  W.  S. 

,,         sigma,  W.  S.  vara. 
HantzscMa  marina,  Donk.     Scaice. 
Pleurosigma  balticum,  W.  T. 

„  formosum.  W.  T.  var.     Broad,  with  blunt  ends. 

,,  elongatum,  W.  T.     Small  form. 

Podosira  maxima,  K. 

,,  ,,        minima,  Grun. 

Pyxidicula  cruciata,  E.  ?     Scarce. 
Phabdonema  crozierii,  E. 
Phaplwneis  surirella,  E. 
Rhizosolenia  hebetata,  Bail.     Scarce. 
Stictodiscus  calijornicus,  Grev.     Rare. 
Surirella  fastuosa,  E. 

„         striatula,  Turp.  var.     Narrow,  resembling  S.  gemma  in  outline. 

,,         gemma,  E. 
Sxjnedra  affinis,  K.  var>. 
Triceratium  arctieum,  E. 

,,  scxdptum,  Shad.  var.  ?     A  central  spine.    (Qy.,  T.  macidatum, 

Kitt.,  V.H.,  112,  9,  10,  11.* 

A  considerable  number  of  Freshwater  species  were  observed,  which 
were  more  numerous  in  some  preparations  than  in  others. 

Caitipylodiscus  noricus,  E.  Bare.  Cymbella,  two  or  three  species,  Epi- 
themia  turgida,  Navicula  rhomboides,  E.  JS\  amphigomphus  (firma),  E. 
N.  commutata,  Grun.  Surirella  splendida  and  vars.  S.  spiralis,  S.  W., 
not  uncommon ;  S.  nobilis,  scarce ;  Nitzsclda  (Hantzschia)  amphioxys, 
Tabellaria,  &c,  &c. 

UNDESCRIBED  SPECIES  FROM  OTHER  LOCALITIES. 

Surirella  carinata,  n.  sp.,  F.  K.  Valve  panduriform,  apices 
broadly  rounded,  aire  slightly  produced,  costre  reaching  to  pseudo, 
raphe  margin  striate.  Length,  '0055" ;  breadth,  "0036  ;  width  at 
construction,  -0026.  Dredging — Lat.,  20*1  S.  ;  long.,  57*25  E. ; 
depth,  -1350  fms. — PI.  IV.,  Fig.  5.,  a-b,  longitudinal  and  trans- 
verse sections  (ideal). 

The  small  quantity  of  material  at  my  disposal  yielded  several 
valves,  and  fragments  of  valves,  these  showed  very  little  variation  in 
outline  or  markings.     The  centre  of  the  valve  has  a  longitudinal 

*  I  have  seen  a  form  like  the  species  figured  in  Schmidt's  "Atlas,"  PI. 
LXXYL,  Fig.  11,  which  is  a  var.  of  T.  sculptum. — F.  K. 


22  P.    KITTON    ON    SOME    NEW    DIATOMACEiG. 

elevation  like  a  reversed  V  (\),  the  top  of  which  constitutes  the 
pseudo  raphe. 

Sceptroneis  ?  claws,  n.  sp.,  F.  K.  Valve  cuneate,  superior  apex 
broad,  rapidly  diminishing  to  half  its  breadth,  afterwards  tapering 
gradually  to  the  rounded  inferior  apex.  Proceeding  from  the 
margins  of  the  superior  apex  are  nine  longitudinal  folds,  gradually 
diminishing  in  length  as  they  approach  the  sides;  the  raphe  becomes 
forked  a  little  below  the  three  longest  folds  which  it  embraces. 
Strise  moniliform,  about  28  in  '001"  ;  length,  *01  ;  breadth  of 
superior  apex,  '0016,  do.  inferior,  "0006.  "  Challenger"  dredging. 
— PI.  IV.,  Fig.  6,  b-a,  superior  apex. 

I,  at  one  time,  thought  this  form  might  be  an  abnormal  state  of 
some  species  of  Synedra  or  Sceptroneis,  but  having  found  several 
fragments  all  resembling  the  perfect  specimen  from  which  the 
illustration  was  made,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it  is  a  new 
species  if  not  a  new  genus.  In  outline  it  very  much  resembles  a 
horse-shoe  nail. 

Navicula  Lyra,  abnormal.  Valve  with  one  end  broadly  rounded, 
the  other  produced  and  mammiform  ;  raphe  imperfect,  obsolete  on 
the  upper  half  of  the  valve,  the  smooth,  lyrate  spaces  on  each  side 
of  the  raphe  in  the  normal  form  are  here  represented  by  a  horse-shoe 
shaped  hyaline  band,  commencing  a  little  above  the  central  nodules, 
and  terminating  near  the  mammiform  apex.  Strias  moniliform, 
radiant  on  the  upper  half  and  sometimes  confluent,  having  the 
appearance  of  radiating  costee,  not  reaching  the  margin  of  the 
rounded  end.  Length,  -0042  ;  breadth  at  centre,  '0020 ;  broad 
apex,  -0009  ;  narrow  apex,  -0003.  In  a  gathering  from  Pensacola, 
Gulf  of  Mexico,  sent  to  me  by  A.  W.  Griffin,  Esq.,  of  Bath. 

This  form  very  much  resembles  in  outline  two  abormal  forms  of 
Navicula  ( Stauroneis)  maculata,  of  which  Herr  Weissflog  has  kindly 
sent  me  photographs.  In  both  specimens  the  striaa  on  the  upper 
portion  do  not  reach  the  margin  of  the  broad  end.  In  one  specimen 
an  irregular  smooth  space  surrounded  the  central  nodule,  and  a  slight 
trace  of  raphe  exists  near  the  small  apex  ;  length,  -0048"  ;  breadth 
at  centre,  "0023".  In  the  second  specimen  a  circular  sub-central 
smooth  area  is  visible,  the  terminal  nodules  lying  just  within  its 
circumference.  The  lower  half  of  the  raphe  is  normal,  but  that  of 
the  upper  part  is  nearly  at  right  angles  with  it.  Length,  -0043  ; 
breadth,   '0023. 


I 


/ 


F.    KITTON    ON    SOME    NEW    DIATOMACE^E.  23 

These  forms   occurred   in  a  gathering  from  Marble  Head,  Mass., 

U.S. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  PLATE  IV. 

Fig.     1. — Aulacodiscus  Sturtii.  X  600  dia. 
2. — Podosira  maxima,  X  400  dia. 
3. —        ,,       diagrammatic  section  of  valve. 
4. — A mp Ja pleura  pettucida,  X  400  dia. 
4a. —  „  apex,   x  800  dia. 

5. — Surirella  crinata,  X  400  dia. 

a-h,  ideal  sections  of  do. 
6. — Sceptroneis  clavv.s,   X  360  dia.* 

a,  superior  apex  of  do.,   X  GOO  dia. 
7. — Naticula  Lyra,  abnormal,  X  600  dia. 

This  valve  is  apparently  slightly  abuormal,  the  pseudo  raphe  is  not  central, 
and  one  angle  of  the  broad  apex  is  lower  than  the  other.  Fig.  a  represents  a 
fragment  of  another  valve. 

*  Shows  the  moniliform  character  of  the  striae. 


24 


Note  on  Mermis    Nigrescens. 

By  R.  T.  Lewis,  F.R.M.S. 

Bead  June  27th,  1884. 

Those  members  of  the  Quekett  Club  who  are  old  enough  in  that 
relationship  to  remember  its  earlier  proceedings,  will  perhaps  recol- 
lect that  at  the  Ordinary  Meeting  in  August,  1867,  a  paper  was 
read  "  On  Mermis  Nigrescens,"  a  hair  worm  which  at  that  time 
was  attracting  considerable  attention.  At  that  remote  period  of 
our  history  the  Quekett  did  not  possess  a  Journal  of  its  own,  but 
the  paper  in  question  was  preserved  from  oblivion  by  the  then 
Editor  of  "  Science  Gossip  " — our  now  respected  President. 

Referring  to  the  paper  as  it  appeared  in  that  periodical  for 
October,  1867,  it  seems  that  on  the  2nd  of  June  in  that  year  a 
thunderstorm  occurred,  accompanied  by  heavy  rainfall,  and  that 
on  the  following  morning  immense  numbers  of  these  worms  were 
found  upon  trees  and  shrubs,  as  well  as  on  the  grass  and  on  the 
soil,  throughout  the  counties  of  Sussex,  Kent,  Surrey,  and  Middle- 
sex. The  facts  were  mentioned  at  the  time  at  the  Entomological  and 
Linnean  Societies,  as  well  as  the  Quekett  Microscopical  Club  ;  and 
specimens  were  exhibited  here  which  had  been  forwarded  by  a 
friend  at  Bognor.  It  was  also  stated  that  similar  sudden  appear- 
ances of  these  worms  in  large  numbers  occurred  in  the  years  1781, 
1832,  and  1845 — on  each  occasion  in  the  month  of  June,  and  after 
thunderstorms  with  heavy  rainfall.  During  the  17  years  which 
have  intervened  my  enquiries  for  further  specimens  of  these 
creatures  have  proved  fruitless,  but  on  the  5th  of  June,  1884,  Ave 
were  visited  with  a  severe  thunderstorm,  followed  by  heavy  rainfall, 
which  continued  without  interruption  for  about  24  hours  ;  and  on 
the  following  day,  whilst  stooping  to  remove  a  weed  from  a  flower- 
bed, my  attention  was  arrested  by  Mermis  Nigrescens,  suspended  by 
the  tail  from  a  carnation  plant,  and  waving  its  slender  body  to  and 
fro  in  the  air.     Further  search  speedily  resulted  in  the  discovery  of 


R.    T.    LEWIS    ON    MERMIS    NIGRESCENS.  25 

numerous  other  specimens,  some  on  rose  bushes  and  plants,  others 
upon  the  ground,  but  all  alive  and  active,  and  in  a  mature  con- 
dition ;  I  could,  however,  only  find  them  on  the  western  side  of  the 
garden,  the  wind  during  the  clay  having  blown  from  the  east,  and 
the  eastern  side  being  much  sheltered  by  trees.  On  the  following- 
morning  not  one  could  anywhere  be  found,  and  where  they  came 
from,  or  went  to,  remain  as  much  unanswered  queries  as  in  1867, 
though  at  that  time,  as  on  former  occasions,  a  belief  prevailed 
amongst  the  rural  population  that  they  had  fallen  from  the  clouds 
during  the  storm. 

The  finding  of  these  specimens  during  the  present  month  enabled 
me  to  repeat  and  to  verify  the  observations  made  in  1867,  and  this 
under  the  more  favourable  conditions  that  these  recentlv  obtained 
were  living,  whereas  those  formerly  received  from  Bognor  were 
dead  and  dry  when  they  came  to  hand.  In  general  appearance  the 
two  lots  are  precisely  similar — from  3^  to  5  inches  long  by 
about  Jq  inch  in  diameter,  their  colour  varying  with  the  quantity 
of  ova  which  they  contained,  the  darkest  specimens  probably  en- 
closing not  far  short  of  10,000. 

The  spirally  striated  character  of  the  translucent  integument  is 
very  marked  in  the  living  specimens,  and  seems  to  furnish  a  clue  to 
their  extraordinary  muscular  power  and  movements,  for  whilst 
readily  able  to  coil  up  into  a  helix  of  about  T\  inch  in  diameter, 
it  was  noted  that  when  seized  by  one  end  the  body  became  almost 
rigid,  and  many  specimens  were  taken  which  were  erect  and  wTaving 
to  and  fro  in  the  air  for  at  least  |  of  their  total  length.  One 
specimen,  whilst  under  the  microscope,  was  observed  to  expel  a 
quantity  of  ova  which,  when  placed  under  a  ^  ineh  objective,  were  at 
once  seen  to  possess  the  curious  appendages  formerly  noticed,  each 
ovum  being  enclosed  in  a  delicate  hyaline  capsule,  having  one  or 
more  extremely  fine  brush-like  processes  at  each  end.  Specimens 
of  the  worms,  both  alive  and  mounted,  are  exhibited  in  the  room, 
and  under  another  microscope  the  ova,  with  their  appendages,  are 
also  shown  ;  these  are  simply  placed  under  a  cover  glass  upon  a 
hollowed  glass  slide,  in  a  little  water,  as  any  attempt  to  mount 
them  has  hitherto  only  resulted  in  the  rapture  of  the  capsule  and 
escape  of  the  worm.  It  is  mainly  with  the  hope  of  eliciting  some 
suggestions  as  to  the  probable  use  of  these  appendages  that  I 
have  ventured  this  short  note  upon  an  old  subject. 

Note. — Since  the  above  was  written  and   on  the  afternoon  of 


26  R.    T.    LEWIS    ON    MKRMIS    NIGRESCENS. 

July  6th  a  severe  thunderstorm  again  occurred,  rain  falling  heavily 
for  about  two  hours  ;  immediately  on  the  cessation  of  the  storm  I 
searched  the  garden  for  Mermis,  and  succeeded  in  finding  six  more 
specimens. 

My  attention  has  also  since  been  directed  to  the  observations  of 
Dujardin  on  this  subject,  as  quoted  by  our  late  President,  Dr.  T.  S. 
Cobbold,  in  his  work  on  "Entozoa,"  p.  59,  in  which  these  pro- 
cesses are  regarded  as  funiculi. — R.  T.  L. 


27 


Q.M.C.  EXCURSIONS. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  the  Gardens 
of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society  of  London  by  Messrs. 
Badcock,  Bartlett,  Cocks,  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  Messrs. 
Dunning.  Funston,  Glasspoole,  Hardy,  Mainland,  Parsons, 
and  Rousselet. 

19th  April,  1884. 

ALGjE. 

Cladophora  fracta. 

Oscillaria  Frolichii. 
„         tenervima. 

Scytonema  Hoffmanni. 

„  Julianum.     W.  and  N. 

DESMIDIACEJS. 

Closteriwn  lunula. 

„  monilijerum. 

Pediastrum  Boryanum. 
,,  granulatum. 

Scenedesmus  quadricauda. 
DIATOM  ACE uE. 

Amphipleura  sigmoidea. 

Cocconema  lanceolatum. 

Encyonema  c&spitosum. 

Navicular. 

Pinnularia  nobilis. 

Pleurosigma  littorale. 

Synedra  capitata. 
INFUSORIA. 

Acineta  tuberosa  and  various  forms  of  Podophrya. 

Actinophrys. 

Amblyopias  viridis. 

Amceba  princeps. 

Astasia  limpida. 

Cothurnia  imberbis. 


28 


INFUSORIA. 
Dileptus  folium. 

E[ i is tylis  anasta ilea . 

„  grand  is. 

Euglena  longicauda. 
Paramecium  aurelia. 
Phacus  longicaudus. 
Spongilla  jluviatilis. 
Stentor,  sp. 

„       cairuleus. 
Mullen, 
polymoiphus. 
Stylonichia. 
Vaginicola  crystallina. 
Vorticella  microstoma. 
„  nebulifera. 

Zooth  a  m  n  iu  m  s  imp  lex, 
ROTIFER  A. 

Brachionus  amphtceros. 
Dinocharis  tetractis. 
Distemma  forficula. 
Floscularia   cornuta. 
Limnias  ceratophylli. 
Mastigocerca  carinata. 
Metopidia. 
Monocerca  raltus. 
(Ecistes  crystallinus. 
CEcistes  umbella. 
Phylodin a  erythi  op hthalma. 
Pterodina  patina. 
Rattulus  lunar  is, 
Stephanocerus  Eichhornii. 
POLYZOA. 

Fredericella  sultana. 
Plumatella  repens. 
ENIOMOSTRACA. 
Cyclops  tenuicornis. 
Canthocamptus. 
Chydorvs. 

And  other  common  species. 


29 

PLANAUIA. 
Sp. 

ANNELIDA. 

Nais  digit  at  a. 

Thirty-five  members  of  the  Club,  with  three  friends  and  nine 
members  of  other  Societies,  making  a  total  of  forty-seven,  joined 
the  excursion,  and  were  very  delighted  with  the  opportunity  of 
visiting  these  Gardens,  afforded  by  the  kindness  of  Mr.  Sowerby, 
who  conducted  the  party  through  the  conservatory  and  other 
houses  and  the  grounds.  Mr.  Sowerby's  great  attention  was  highly 
appreciated  by  all  present. 


List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Chingford  by 
Mr.  Cocks,  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  Messrs.  Gi.asspoole,  Main- 
land, J.  T.  Powell,    Dadswell,  and  Funston. 

3rd  May,  1884. 

ALGsE. 

Oscillaria  tenuis. 

Protococcus. 

Spirogyra  decemina. 

Spirogyra  quinina. 

Volvox  globator. 
DESMIDIACE^E. 

Closterium  acerosum. 
,,  Ehrenbergii. 

,,  moniliferum. 

Cosmarium  botrytis. 

Penium  margaritaceum. 

Strauraslrum  polymorphum. 
,,  punctulatum. 

MUSCI. 

The  protonema  of   a    moss,    easily   mistaken    for   a  species   of 
Stygeoclonium,  very  numerous  in  the  ditch  at  the  Cuckoo  pits. 

Aulacomnion  palustre. 

Dicranum. 

Pogonatum  piliferum. 

Sphagnum. 
FUNGI. 

Byssosphceria  aquila,  Fr. 


30 

FUNGI. 

Peziza  aphala,  B.  &  Br. 
,,        Curreyana,  B. 
CHARACE^E. 

JSitella  opaca,  male  plant  with  antheridia  in  beautiful  condition. 
D1ATOMACEJE. 

Xitzschia. 

Pinnularia  nobilis. 

„  viridis.  • 

INFUSORIA. 

Actinophrys  Eichhornii. 
,,  sol. 

,,  viridis. 

AntJwphysa  Mulleri  (vegetans). 

Arcella  dentata. 
,,       vulgaris. 

Bursaria  vernalis. 

Euglena  longicauda. 

Lacrymaria  proteus. 

Peridinium  cinctum. 

Stentor  Mulleri  (white  in  gelatinous  tubes). 
,,        polymorphic. 
ROTIFER  A. 

Anurcea  curvicornis. 

Brachionus. 

Conochilus  volvox. 

Dinocharis  tetractis. 

Euchlanis  sp. 

Floscularia,  sp. 

Hydatina  senta. 

Melicerta  ringens. 

Metopidia  sp. 

Monocerca  rattus. 

(Ecistes  umbella. 

Philodina. 

Tardigrada. 
ENTOMOSTRACA. 

Chydorus  sphericus. 

Cyclops. 

Daphnia. 


n  1 


PLANARIA. 

Planaria  lactea. 
MYRIAPODA. 

Polyxenes  lagurus. 
ARACHNIDA. 

Chelifer  cancroides. 
PHANEROGAMS. 

Drosera  rotundifolia. 

Ruscus  aculeatus. 

And  many  other  common  species. 

Twelve  members  of  the  Club,  and  three  members  of  other 
Societies  attended.  The  weather  was  very  unpromising,  and 
doubtless  deterred  many  from  joining  the  Excursion. 


List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Totteridge 
by  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  Messrs.  Dadswell,  Funston,  Hardy, 
Mainland,  and  J.  T.  Powell. 

17th  May,  1884. 
ALG^E. 

Aphanothece  stagnina. 

Apiocystis. 

Bulbochcete  setigera. 

Chcetophora  pisiformis. 

Gonium  pectorale. 

Mesocarpvs,  sp.    Without  fruit,  and  therefore  cannot  be  named. 

Nostoc  piscinale. 

(Edogonium  ciliatum. 

„  Vaucherii. 

Olpidium  endogenum,  in  Mesocarpus. 
Oscillaria  limosa. 

« 

,,       .     tenuis. 
Spirogyra  flavescens. 

,,  nitida. 

,,  quinina. 

Stauraspermum,   sp.      Without  fruit,  and  therefore  cannot  be 
named. 

Stigeoclonium  protensum. 
Ulothrix  tenerrima. 
Zygnema  stellinum. 


32 

A  filamentous  alga — cells  about  length  of  four  diameters,  with 
two  stellate  bodies  in  each  cell. 

Volvox  globator,  with  yellow  resting-spores,  but  some,  although 
revolving,  were  without  spores  and  full  of  a  filamentous  sub- 
stance. 

DESMIDIACEjE. 
Closterium  Ehrenbergii. 

„  lunula. 

Euastrum  oblongum. 
Pediastrum  Boryanum. 

„  Ehrenbergii. 

„  granulatum. 

Scenedesmus  acutus. 

,,  quadricauda. 

Straurastrwn  giacile. 
DIATOMACEJS. 

Cocconema  lanceolatum. 

Pleurosigma  angulation. 

Surirella. 

A  stipitate  diatom. 

M  icr  aster  ias. 
CHARACEsE. 

Nitella  fiexilis — in  fruit. 
INFUSORIA. 

Actinophrys  sol. 

An thophysa  M  i'dleri. 

Arcella  vulgaris. 

Bursaria  truncatella. 

Chcetonotus  larus. 

Chaetotyphla  armata. 

Coleps  hirtus. 

Euglena  viridis,  and  the  red  form  of  ditto. 

Epistylis. 

Stentor  niger. 
,,       viridis. 

Vaginicola  crystallina. 
Vorticella,  many  varieties. 

Stylonichia. 


33 

ROTIFER  A. 

Euchlanis  triguetra. 

Floscularia  cornuta. 
„    .         ornata. 

Limnias  ceratophjlli. 

Melicerta  ringens. 

(Ecistes  crystallinus. 

Rattulus  lunaris. 

Stephanoceros  Eiclihornii, 

Triarthra  longiseta. 
ENTOMOSTRACA. 

Camptocercus  macrourus. 

A  Cyclops,  not  figured  in  Baird. 

Diaptomus  castor. 
HYDRACHNIDA. 

Arrenurus  globator. 
NEMATOIDEA. 

Anguillula  jluviatilis. 
MISCELLANEA. 

A    globular   gelatinous    cyst,    the    size    of    a  pea,    containing 
numerous  ova  and  nearly  hatched  larvas,  probably  dipterous. 
PHANEROGAMS. 

Ranunculus  lingua  (Greater  Spearwort). 

Acorus  calamus  (Sweet  Flag). 

Sherardia  arvensis  (Field  Madder). 

The  day  was  fine,  but  the  excursion  was  not  so  well  attended  as 
might  have  been  expected.  Possibly  Totteridge  may  be  thought 
by  some  to  be  exhausted,  but  the  foregoing  list  shows  that  there 
are  still  many  objects  to  be  obtained  in  that  neighbourhood  ;  in 
addition  to  those  enumerated  some  curious  forms  of  Volvox  and 
some  very  beautiful  Rotifers  were  found  by  the  Secretary,  who  re- 
grets that  he  had  not  time  to  identify  them.  Other  interesting 
objects  were  also  found  by  him. 

The  number  of  members  of  the  Q.M.C.  who  attended  the  Excur- 
sion was  twelve.  Four  members  of  the  Hackney  Society  were 
also  present,  as  also  one  member  from  the  S.  London  ;  these  with 
one  or  two  friends,  made  up  a  total  of  nineteen. 


Journ.  Q.  M.  C.j  Series  II.,  No.  9. 


n 


List  of  Objects  Found    on    the    Excursion    to    Woking    Bt 
Messrs.  Dadswell  and  Parsons. 

Saturday,  7tli  June,  1884. 

ALG^E. 

Volvox  globator. 
INFUSORIA. 

Vaginicola. 
Stentor  Mulleri. 
ROTIFERA. 

Conocliilus  volvox. 

Floscularia. 

Jllelicerta  ringens. 

Stepha?ioceros  Eiclilwrnii. 

Limnias  ceratophylli. 
ENTOMOSTRACA. 

Daphnia  pulex. 

A  Daphnia — probably  reticulata,  Laving  the  eye  at  the  end  of  a 
blunt  rostrum. 

Diaptomus  castor,  male  and  female. 

Eurycercus  latuellatus. 

Polyphemus  pecliculus. 
CHARACEsE. 

Nitella  opaca,  female  plant  with  arcnegonia. 
PHANEROGAMS. 

Drosera  rotundifolia. 
„       intermedia. 

Owing  to  the  weather  during  the  week  having  been  very  wet, 
the  Excursion,  as  regards  numbers,  was  a  failure,  only  four 
members,  three  of  whom  are  on  the  Excursions  Sub-Committee, 
attending,  but  they  had  a  very  enjoyable  afternoon.  Mr.  Fredk. 
Enock  kindly  met  them  at  the  station  and  pointed  out  the  likely 
spots  for  finding  objects  of  interest. 

Fredk.  A.  Parsons. 

Hon.  Sec,  Excns.  Sub- Com. 


35 


» 


PROCEEDINGS. 

April  25th,  1884. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for   and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club  : — Mr.  Jno.  Higgins  and  Mr.  J.  W.  P.  Laurence. 
The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society  "     From  the  Society. 
"Proceedings  of  the  Geologists'  Association"         ,,  „ 

"  Journal  of  the  Postal  Microscopical  Society"         ,,  „ 

"   Proceedings     of       Belgian      Microscopical^) 

Society"  ) 

"  Science  Gossip "  ...         ...         ...         ...         ,,         Publisher. 

"  The  Analyst " „         Editor. 

"  Science  Monthly "         ...  ...  ...  ...  ,,  „ 

"The  American  Naturalist  "    ...  ...  ...     In  exchange. 

"  The       American      Monthly       Microscopical^) 

Journal"  )    " 

Dr.  Cooke's  "  Fresh  Water  Algae,"  Part  8        ...        Purchased. 
"  Annals  of  Natural  History "  ...  ...  „ 

Coles'  "  Studies  in  Microscopical  Science"    ...  „ 

"Challenger  Reports,"  Vol.  8    ...  ...  ...  „ 

"  Album  of  Woods,"  by  Wilmusdafer   ..  ...  „ 

"The  Flora  of  Middlesex"       From  Mr.  Crisp. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  donors. 
The  President,  on  behalf  of  the  Excursion  Committee,  wished  to  remind 
the  members  that  the  excursion  season  had  commenced,  and  that  two  ex- 
cursions had  already  taken  place.  It  was  intended  this  season  to  introduce 
a  new  feature  by  giving  out  papers  to  the  members  to  be  filled  up  and  re- 
turned to  the  Secretary,  indicating  the  various  objects  found,  and  giving 
figures  of  such  as  it  had  not  been  possible  to  identify.  The  papers  filled 
up  at  the  first  excursion  were  so  satisfactory  that  it  had  been  thought 
desirable  to  lay  them  upon  the  table  that  evening,  so  that  others  who  pur- 
posed attending  future  excursions  might  see  how  it  was  done,  and  that 
others  might  be  able  to  judge  of  the  practical  utility  of  the  plan.  He 
thought  that  the  collection  thus  formed  would  be  a  most  interesting  record 
of  the  out-door  work  of  the  Club.  And  he  would  just  call  attention  to  the 
sketches  which  accompanied  many  of  the  papers  as  evidencing  that  there 
was  drawing  power  as  well  as  singing  power  in  the  Club. 


3(5 

Mr.  Badcock  thought  he  might  say  that  these  two  excursions  illustrated 
the  necessity  for  looking  in  unlikely  places,  for  they  were  very  apt  to  be- 
come accustomed  to  look  only  in  what  they  considered  to  be  likely  places, 
forgetting  that  others  were  very  often  those  where  something  very  rare 
might  be  found.  At  Keston  many  were  disappointed  at  not  finding 
any  Batrachospermum  at  the  well  as  usual,  but  others  who  went  to 
another  pond  found  large  masses  of  it  in  fine  condition.  In  the  bog  he 
found  Surirella  bifrons,  and  on  looking  at  it  under  the  microscope  he  dis- 
covered that  which  had  been  a  subject  of  some  dispute,  namely,  the  filmy 
pseudopodia,  very  clearly  defined.  The  same  remark  would  equally  apply 
to  their  last  excursion  to  the  Botanic  Gardens,  where  in  the  Victoria  Regia 
house,  on  the  rootlets  of  one  of  the  water  plants,  Epitstylus  and  Philodina 
were  found  in  greater  abundance  than  he  had  ever  seen  them  before. 

Mr.  Ingpen  described  a  new  form  of  Camera  Lucida,  by  Dr.  Schroeder. 
At  first  sight  it  might  not  appear  to  be  neAv,  but  there  was  a  very  special 
and  interesting  difference  between  this  and  any  other.  Dr.  Schroeder 
admitted  that  he  made  out  the  principle  of  it  whilst  working  out  Mr. 
Wenham's  prism  for  high  powers.  By  means  of  a  drawing  upon  the  board 
he  (Mr.  Ingpen)  showed  that  the  usual  displacement  was  got  rid  of,  owing 
to  the  image  having  two  reflections,  and  that  the  whole  of  the  field  was 
taken  in,  the  light  being  moderately  bright  from  the  object,  and  the  image 
of  the  pencil  being  beautifully  clear.  Until  he  had  tested  the  results  Mr. 
Wenham  had  been  equally  sceptical  with  others  as  to  the  value  of  any 
Camera  Lucida  with  superimposed  images. 

Mr.  Michael  called  attention  to  an  unrecorded  species  of  the  genus 
3/yobia,  which  he  found  some  time  since  amongst  some  specimens  which 
were  sent  to  him  by  the  Rev.  C.  R.  M.  Burrows,  of  Brentwood.  It  was 
amongst  a  number  of  others  taken  parasitic  upon  the  ordinary  small  Bat, 
found  in  a  cavern  in  Gloucestershire.  A  diagram  of  the  specimen  was 
drawn  upon  the  board,  and  its  distinctive  features,  particularly  the  pecu- 
liarity  of  the  foot,  were  pointed  out.  It  was  proposed  to  call  it 
Chiropteralis. 

Mr.  E.  T.  Newton  (occupying  the  chair  in  the  absence  of  the  President) 
proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Michael,  which  was  unanimously  carried. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  read  a  letter  from  Professor  Hamilton  Smith,  with 
regard  to  diatoms  mounted  in  his  new  high  refractive  media.  Professor 
Smith  had  sent  over  three  more  slides — those  formerly  sent  having  gone 
bad — and  one  of  these,  a  specimen  of  Amphipleura  pellucida,  was  ex- 
hibited under  a  ^in.  with  student's  microscope. 

Mr.  Nelson  also  drew  attention  to  a  prize  of  £100,  recently  offered  by  the 
Linnean  Society  of  Sydney,  for  the  best  paper  on  the  Bacilli  of  typhoid 
fever. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  his  communica- 
tion. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione^  and  the 
following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 


37 

Spirorlis  nautiloides       Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Philodina  erythropthalma         ...  ...  ...  Mr.  J.  Badcock. 

Epistylis  anastatica       ...  ...  ...  ...  ,, 

Cristatella  mucedo  ...  ...         ...         ...  Mr.  W.  G.  Cocks. 

Section  of  stem  of  Carex  paludosa  ('Sedge)  ...  Mr.  C.  G.  Dunning. 

Marine  mite.     Halacarus,  sp.  ...         ...         ...  Mr.  H.  E.   Freeman. 

Larva  of    Labanus  (Gadfly)       Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

Stentor  Mulleri    ...  ...  ...  ...  ...  Mr.  T.  J.  McManis. 

Myohia  chiropteralis,   Q  and  g  n.s.     ...  ...  Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 

Larva  of  an  eutozoon    ...  ...  ...         ...  Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

Gonium  pectorale  ...  ...         ...         ...  Mr.  C.  Le  Pelley. 

Fredericella  sultana        ...  ...         ...  ...  „ 

Section  of    scale    from     Sciadopitys    verti- 

cillata    ... 
Scale  leaves  of  ditto 

Fredericella  sultana        Mr.  C.  Konsselet. 

Trans,  sec.  Tongue  of  Cat        Mr.  F.  Steele. 

Diatom,  Triceratium  A 'ormannianum  ...         ...  Mr.  G.  Start. 

Clava  squamata ...  Mr.  A.  Wildy. 

Attendance — Members,  66 ;  Visitors,  4. 


Mr.  J.  W.  Eeed. 


» 


May  9th. — Conversational  Meeting. 

A  demonstration  on  polarized  light  was  given  by  Mr.  Charles  Stewart, 
F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  &c,  who  observed  that,  as  it  was  some  20  years  since  he 
had  worked  at  the  subject,  he  had  hoped  to  have  had  an  opportunity  of 
revising  his  knowledge,  but  a  pressure  of  business  had  borne  especially 
hard  upon  him,  and  he  really  had  not  had  an  opportunity  of  doing  what  he 
would  have  liked  to  do. 

He  purposed,  as  this  was  a  demonstration,  to  first  explain  shortly  the 
various  arrangements  he  had  brought  to  illustrate  the  theory  and  use  of 
polarised  light. 

Having  briefly  explained  the  generally  accepted  theory  of  light,  as  con- 
sisting of  certain  vibrations  of  the  ether  caused  by  the  active  molecules  in 
the  source  of  light,  as,  for  example,  the  flame  of  a  lamp,  and  illustrated  his 
remarks  by  diagrams  on  the  blackboard,  he  passed  on  to  consider  what 
changes  were  found  in  light  when  modified  by  polarization. 

The  vibrations  being  restricted  to  some  one  particular  direction,  causing 
lineal  or  plane  polarization,  the  beam  wrould  display  distinct  sides,  one  in 
the  plane  of  its  vibrations,  and  the  other  in  a  plane  at  right  angles  to  the 
first. 

The  simplest  form  of  table  polariscope  for  examining  light  was  a  series 
of  thin  glass  plates,  the  lowest  one  blackened  at  the  back,  a  piece  of 
ground  glass  being  placed  between  the  lamp  and  the  bundle  of  plates  to 
diffuse  the  light,  and  a  piece  of  clear  glass  being  placed  between  the  bundle 
of  plates  and  the  observer,  and  forming  an  inclined  support  on  which  the 
films  of  selenite  and  mica  could  be  conveniently  placed  and  manipulated. 


38 

It  would  be  found  that,  when  light  was  received  by  the  bundle  of  glass 
plates  at  the  proper  angle,  which  angle  varied  with  different  bodies, 
but  was  about  56°  35'  for  glass,  a  portion  of  the  beam  of  light  was  re- 
fracted  and  passed  through  the  glass,  being  absorbed  by  the  blackened 
surface  at  the  back.  If  the  light  that  is  reflected  is  examined  by  another 
bundle  of  glass  plates  or  a  rhomb  of  Iceland  Spar,  known  as  a  Nicol's  Prism, 
the  beam  no  longer  behaved  as  white  light,  but  appeared  to  possess  sides, 
the  light  vibrating  in  a  plane  corresponding  to  the  parallel  surface  of  the 
glass. 

By  means  of  a  diagram,  he  showed  how  the  waves  of  light  would  foroe 
their  way  into  the  bundle  of  glass.  It  would  be  seen  that  by  using  a 
bundle  of  thin  plates  or  a  Nicol's  Prism  it  was  possible  to  analyse  the  beam 
of  reflected  light. 

In  one  position  the  prism  allowed  the  light  to  pass  through,  and  a  bright 
field  was  seen,  but  if  the  prism  was  rotated  until  it  was  at  right  angles,  no 
light  could  pass,  and  a  dark  field  was  the  result.  This  was  illustrated  by 
first  placing  the  fingers  of  one  hand  parallel  with  those  of  the  other,  and  then 
placing  the  fingers  of  one  hand  at  right  angles  to  those, of  the  other,  in  whioh 
latter  position  they  could  not,  of  course,  pass  in  the  same  plane. 

He  next  directed  attention  to  a  disc  of  mica,  mica  being  preferable  for 
these  experiments  because  it  was  far  more  easily  split  into  large  and  uni- 
form films.  This  disc  of  mica  had  a  direction  in  which  there  was  a  special 
strain  or  tension.  An  ordinary  ray  of  light,  in  passing  through  such  a 
crvstal,  was  divided  into  certain  vibrations  in  the  direction  of  this  strain 
and  others  at  right  angles  to  it. 

"When  this  piece  of  mica  was  placed  on  the  table  polariscope,  with  the  line 
of  tension  at  an  angle  of  45°  to  the  plane  of  vibration  of  the  polarized  raj', 
the  mica  would  present  various  colours  according  to  its  thickness,  because 
the  vibrations  in  the  direction  of  the  particular  strain  were  passing  through 
the  crystal  with  different  velocities  :  the  one  the  ordinary  ray,  and  the  other 
the  extraordinary  ray,  and  these  differed  in  their  rate  of  transmission. 

These  rays  entered  the  rhomb  of  Iceland  Spar,  and  were  again  split  up 
into  two  by  the  same  law  as  the  original  beam,  so  there  were  now  four  sets 
of  vibrations  to  deal  with,  two  of  which  were  vibrating  at  right  angles  to 
the  other  two,  the  extraordinary  ray  of  one  set  corresponding  with  the 
ordinary  ray  of  the  other.  [This  was  illustrated  and  explained  by  a  diagram 
on  the  blackboard.] 

Now  these  four  sets  of  rays,  of  which  two  sets  were  parallel  but  passing 
with  different  velocities,  reached  the  film  of  Canada  balsam  which  cemented 
the  two  halves  of  the  rhomb  together  ;  the  vibrations  in  the  plane  of  the 
balsam  film  were  reflected  to  the  side  and  absorbed  by  the  tube  in  which 
the  rhomb  was  placed,  and  the  others  were  transmitted  to  the  eye. 

The  result  was  that  two  sets  of  vibrations  were  wiped  out,  and  two  sets 
remained  to  be  dealt  with,  which  were  coincident  with  each  other  ;  one  of 
these  had  got  out  a  little  in  advance  of  the  other.  Meeting  in  opposite 
phases,  the  vibrations  of  a  certain  length— say  red — would  clash  with  the 
red  of  the  other  ;  the  ether  particle  would  not  move  at  all,  but  would  come 


39 

to  rest.      In  other  words,  there  would  be  a  polarized  object  presenting  a 
green  colour. 

To  ascertain  whether  any  object  would  polarize  or  not,  it  was  necessary  to 
turn  it  round  in  all  positions  ;  so  the  polariscope  must  be  capable  of  rotation, 
or  the  objpct  must  be  capable  of  rotation  on  it.  Sometimes  it  was  more  con* 
venient  to  rotate  the  polarizer,  sometimes  the  object.  The  analyser  should 
also  have  a  rotating  motion. 

He  then  explained  by  means  of  a  diagram  in  which  the  bands  of  colours 
given  by  different  thicknesses  of  films  were  shown  in  their  proper  position, 
that  the  effect  was  precisely  the  same  whether  there  was  a  minimum  of 
tension  or  a  minimum  of  thickness  in  a  given  film,  and  traced  the  changes 
of  oolour  given  by  the  different  thickness  of  films  of  mica. 

In  practice,  it  was  often  found  more  convenient,  instead  of  trying  to 
split  a  film  to  a  particular  thickness,  to  use  two  or  more  films  of  mica  or 
selenite  of  a  uniform  thickness. 

Taking  a  glass  disc  on  which  were  fixed  two  small  semicircles  of  miGa 
of  different  colours,  he  placed  over  them  another  larger  circular  film  with  a 
hole  in  the  centre,  and,  placing  the  two  plates  on  the  table  polariscope, 
the  effeot  of  the  added  film  was  seen  at  a  glance. 

Through  the  central  aperture,  the  single  films  could  be  seen  ;  further  out, 
the  result  of  the  added  film  j  and,  beyond  the  smaller  films,  the  colour  of 
the  added  film.  The  changes  effected  by  rotating  the  films  were  shown 
with  the  greatest  clearness  and  simplicity. 

Then  as  to  the  various  thicknesses  of  films  which  were  best  to  use  in  the 
microscope,  If  it  was  desired  to  produce  the  more  beautiful  effects,  it  was 
simply  a  matter  of  taste  ;  some  preferred  the  most  brilliant  colour,  with 
dashes  of  black,  giving  more  vivid  features  such  as  so  many  people  admired. 
A  Spanish  lady  would  prefer  scarlet  or  orange  with  a  black  shawl,  and  she 
would  show  her  good  taste. 

There  were  others  who  would  prefer  softer,  gentler  tints  of  pink,  and  so 
on,  and  it  could  not  be  said  they  were  wrong. 

Those  who  wanted  vivid  colours  of  the  first  type  should  view  the  object 
without  selenite;  with  selenite  the  black  of  the  first  case  is  replaced  by  the 
colour  of  the  selenite  used. 

What  was  actually  learned  by  using  the  selenite  film,  with  the  least  possible 
trouble,  was  not  only  whether  a  body  was  in  a  state  of  tension  or  not,  but 
what  was  the  direction  of  the  teusion,  whether  pulled,  strained,  or  squeezed. 
This  was  done  in  a  second,  because  if  it  were  known  what  colour  an  object 
presented  with  any  given  film  of  selenite  whose  direction  of  tension  was 
known,  say  blue,  and  the  object  previously  blue  appeared  black  when 
examined  without  the  selenite,  it  was  perfectly  clear  that  the  tension 
was  at  right  angles  to  that  of  the  film  of  selenite. 

But  how  can  the  direction  of  the  tension  in  the  film  of  mica  or  selenite  be 
determined  ?  Many  years  ago  he  adopted  the  following  plan: — He  took 
small  squares  of  glass,  placed  them  in  an  ordinary  clay  pipe,  put  them  into  a 
clear  fire  until  of  a  nearly  red  heat,  and  then  cooled  them  at  an  open  window. 
A  good  many  of  them  cracked,   but   he  obtained  a  number  in  a  state  of 


40 

unequal  tension,  caused  by  the  contraction  of  the  surface,  and  the  interior 
trying  to  shrink  into  a  smaller  compass,  but  being  prevented  by  the  hard 
jacket  outside.  Taking  one  of  these  as  a  standard,  he  was  enabled  to 
determine  easily  the  condition  of  the  piece  of  mica.  With  the  crossed 
Nicol's  Prisms,  there  would  perhaps  be  found  a  black  cross  bisecting  the 
white  square,  in  consequence  of  the  glass  being  in  a  state  of  tension — 
now  suppose  a  piece  of  mica,  blue  of  the  second  series,  placed  over  the 
glass  gave  the  colours  green  and  red,  the  direction  of  tension  of  the  mica 
would  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  green  parts  of  the  glass.  Having 
determined  one  film  and  marked  it,  it  was  very  easy  to  determine  others. 

There  was  another  fact  that  was  useful,  not  so  much  for  instruction  as 
for  the  beauty  of  some  of  its  effects.  Under  ordinary  circumstances  the 
colours  simply  passed  from  the  red  into  green  through  the  neutral  zone.  If 
a  piece  of  mica  were  used  which  had  only  the  thickness  which  corresponded 
with  the  quarter  of  the  space  between  the  first  purple  and  the  commence, 
ment  of  pure  white  [as  shown  on  a  diagram],  then  it  would  be  found  that 
by  this  so-called  5  film,  when  placed  over  any  of  the  doubly  refracting  objects 
with  its  principal  section  corresponding  with,  or  at  right  angles  to,  the  plane 
of  polarization,  the  light  is  so  retarded  that,  instead  of  plane  polarized 
light,  there  would  be  produced  circularly  polarized  light.  The  advantage 
was  this,  that  where  with  a  simple  selenite  no  colour  was  obtained,  with  the 
i  film  the  colours  would  change  on  turning  from  indigo  blue,  through  yellow, 
orange,  red,  and  purple,  to  green,  which  of  course  greatly  enhanced  the 
beauty  of  many  objects  when  viewed  with  a  £  film. 

The  question  then  arose,  What  thickness  of  film  was  most  useful  ?  He 
had  not  the  slightest  doubt  it  was  what  was  known  as  the  blue  of  the  third 
series.  This  was  the  most  sensitive  of  all,  simply  because  this  blue  was  a 
very  narrow  belt ;  on  one  side  close  against  it  was  a  very  bright  red,  and  on 
the  other  side  a  brilliant  emerald  green.  A  very  thin  film  will  at  once  change 
this  blue  to  brilliant  green  or  brilliant  red,  either  contrasting  vividly  wTith 
the  pale  blue  ground. 

If  the  deep  blue  of  the  second  series  were  used,  it  would  not  give  half  the 
effect,  because  it  was  so  broad. 

In  one  of  the  table  polariscopes  he  would  place  a  couple  of  films  touch- 
ing each  other;  over  that  he  would  put  a  blue  film  of  the  same  thickness 
as  that  combined  with  the  orange.  In  one  position  this  makes  the  blue 
black;  in  the  other  the  blue  becomes  red,  and  the  orange  becomes  green, 
according  to  the  position  of  the  film.  Take  off  the  blue  film  and  rotate  the 
analyser,  the  orange  becomes  blue  and  the  blue  orange.  If,  however,  the  ? 
film  be  used,  instead  of  each  passing  through  a  neutral  point  to  its  compli- 
mentary colour,  it  would  pass  through  all  the  series  of  colours. 

Norremberg's  Doubler  was  a  simple  arrangement  for  passing  the  rays 
twice  through  the  film,  which  was  the  same  as  if  we  had  the  power  of 
practically  doubling  the  thickness  of  the  film.  This  arrangement  was  par. 
ticularly  useful  for  testing  the  thickness  of  films. 

The  eye  was  very  treacherous  as  regards  colours,  and  could  not  always  be 
trusted,  but  by  the  above  plan  the  accuracy  of  one's  judgment  can  be  tested. 


41 

In  concluding  his  remarks,  Mr.   Stewart  said  that  he  had  placed  under 
several  microscopes  some  objects  to  illustrate  the  various  points  he  had  ex. 
plaiued,  and  he  shortly  pointed  out  some  of  the  most  interesting  features, 
showing  how  useful  polarised  light  was  in   searching  out  details  of  struc- 
ture which  could  not  be  detected  by  ordinary  light. 

At  the  close  of  his  remarks  the  members  were   invited   to  examine  the 
following   objects  with  various  arrangements    of  mica  and   selenite    hlms 
exhibited  by  Mr.  Stewart  and  Mr.  C.  J.  Fox,  when  further  explanations 
were  given  by  those  gentlemen  : — 

Sulphate  of  nickel  and  potash  ...  ...     Mr.  Chas.  Stewart. 

Striped  Human  Muscle  ...  ...         ...  „  ,, 

Ovarian  tube  of  Cidaris  ...  ...  ...  „  ,, 

Epidermis     from     Human    Foot,    showing 

»  »> 


sweat  ducts,  &c. 


} 


Various  Mica  and  Selenite  films  and  designs 


} 


for  table  polariscope 
A    series  of    Norremberg    Mica    Plates   by")      \r  •   P   T   F 

convergent  light  ...  ...         ...  J 

A  pair  of  Mica  Wedges  of  24  films,  giving^) 

the  three   orders   of    Newton's   colours ;  I 

when  crossed  producing  checks,  and  when  I  " 

placed  diagonally,  a  series  of  points  J 

A  micro    slide  of    two    strips  of  Selenite  "1 

ground      thin    along    their  centres    and  ! 

crossed,  showing  a  central  square  figure  i  "  " 

with  four  radial  arms  ...  ...  J 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  Library  : — 

A  new  species  of  Rotifer  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Section  of  Grape  Vine...  ...  ...  ...     Mr.  A.  L.  Corbett. 

Horned  Aphis,  Cerataphis  latonie       ...         ...     Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Trophi  of  Wild  Bee  —  Halicthus  Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Nitella  opaca       Mr.  H.  G.  Glasspoole. 

Section  of  Dolerite        ...  ...  ...  ...     Mr.  A.  V.  Jennings. 

Sulphate  of  Cadmium    ...         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Diatoms,  Triceratium  arcticum  ...         ...     Mr.  W.  H.  Morland. 

,,  Amphi pleura    pellucida    in 

Prof .  Smith's  new  medium    ••• 


) 


Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 


Attendance — Members,  74  ;  Visitors,  9. 


42 

May    23rd,    1884. — Ordinary     Meeting. 
Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club  : — Mr.   John  C.  Havers,  Mr.  Ernest  L.  Lancaster,  Mr.  Alfred  C. 
Tipple,  and  Mr.  Charles  West. 

The  following  donations,  &c,  to  the  Library  were  announced  ; — 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society"  ...  ...     From  the  Society, 

"American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal"...     In  Exchange. 
"  Quarterly  Journal  of  Microscopical  Science  "     Purchased. 
"  Annals  of  Natural  History  "  ...  ...  ...  „ 

Ray  Society's  last  volume  (Michael's  "  British^) 

Oribatidse") )  " 

Prantl's  "  Text  Book  of  Botany  "  „ 

Rutley's  "  Studies  of  Rocks"  ...         ...         ...  „ 

Cole's  "  Studies  in  Microscopical  Science"    ...  „ 

Klein's  "  Elements  of  Histology"         ...  ...  „ 

Pascoe's  "  Notes  on  the  Origin  of  Species  "...  ,, 

Re-statement  of  the  Cell  Theory,  by  Pat.  Geddes  ,, 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  following  extracts  from  a  letter  from  Mr.  Kruitchnuit,  of  New 
Orleans,  was  read  by  the  Secretary  : — "  The  perusal  of  an  article  '  On 
Sand,'  by  J.  G.  Waller,  published  in  the  '  Quekett  Journal'  for  July,  1882, 
gave  me  the  idea  that  I  had  discovered  a  new  source  (at  leapt  to  me)  of 
sand.  Two  years  ago  when  I  sojourned  a  few  days  at  Hot  Springs, 
Arkansas,  I  discovered  in  one  of  the  hot-water  tanks  some  conferva.  The 
water  was  almost  boiling  hot.  The  formation  in  which  the  springs  are 
found  is  chiefly  clay  slate.  A  bushel  of  the  quartz  crystals  adhering  to  the 
filaments  of  the  conferva  would  certainly  be  taken  for  sand,  and  fur  sand 
of  the  purest  kind." 

Mr.  J.  G.  Waller  said — Having  given  the  slide  sent  with  this  letter  a  com- 
plete examination,  I  fail  to  detect  the  usual  character  of  quartz  crystalline 
formation.  Viewed  by  ordinary  light,  the  particles  are  dull  and  dirty, 
looking,  not  clear  and  transparent,  neither  when  examined  by  polarized 
light  is  there  the  response  indicated  by  quartz.  One  very  minute  particle 
gives  colour,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  belong  to  the  rest.  The  outlines  of  the 
particles  are  rounded,  but  not  by  attrition  ;  it  is  the  character  of  their  for- 
mation, which  is  generally  ovate.  Much  consists  of  a  conglomerate  of 
minute  parts.  Where  some  crystalline  forms  are  seen,  they  resemble  more 
that  of  calcareous  matter,  such  as  spar,  talc,  &c.  Some  test  is  required 
before  we  can  affirm  these  particles  to  be  silex  at  all  ;  and  I  am  inclined  to 
think  otherwise.  At  any  rate,  they  are  not  of  quartz,  which  is  always  more 
or  less  translucent,  and  never  has  the  dull  appearance  which  is  here 
indicated. 

Mr.  Ingpen  said  that  the  question  with  regard  to  it  was — Whether  it  was 


43 

qnartz  ?  Because  if  so,  it  became  interesting  to  know  how  the  quartz 
became  collected.  A  piece  of  nitella  growing  in  perfectly  pure  water  had 
the  power  somehow  of  secreting  mineral  matters,  so  that  they  might  find 
within  its  structure  not  only  the  usual  calcareous  secretion,  but  also  nodules 
of  what  he  supposed  was  carbonate  of  lime,  which  had  been  secreted  by 
the  plant,  and  it  seemed  an  interesting  question  whether  quartz  had  been 
secreted  in  some  similar  way. 

Mr.  Waller  said  the  fracture  gave  the  granules  the  appearance  of  small 
particles  of  qnartz  sand. 

Dr.  Matthews  said  it  was  a  well-known  fact  that  JEquisetum  and  the 
grasses  secreted  silex,  and  that  in  the  bamboo  small  nodules  of  secreted 
silex  were  found.  These  were  collected  by  the  natives  of  the  districts  in 
which  it  grows,  under  the  belief  that  they  possessed  great  medicinal  pro- 
perties. 

Mr.  T.  C.  White  said  he  had  a  lot  of  conferva?  some  time  ago  which  were 
corked  up  in  a  bottle  j  after  a  while,  the  colour  all  went  out  of  the  confervae, 
and  they  became  surrounded  by  crystals  similar  to  those  of  the  slide.  These 
were  not  silicious,  and  as  they  dissolved  in  acid  he  assumed  them  to  be 
calcareons. 

Mr.  Ingpen,  referring  to  the  new  mounting  medium  introduced  by 
Professor  Smith,  said  that  he  did  not  think  he  had  ever  seen  a  slide  of 
Ampliipleura  so  well  shown  as  the  one  which  Mr,  Nelson  exhibited,  which 
was  mounted  by  Professor  Smith.  No  doubt  the  objective  and  the  manner 
of  showing  it  had  something  to  do  with  the  matter,  but  there  was  also  no 
doubt  that  something  was  due  to  the  medium.  He  could  only  say  that 
probably  the  exhibition  had  never  been  surpassed  or  equalled,  and  the  fact 
was  to  be  recorded  as  an  era  in  the  history  of  resolution. 

Mr  B.  W.  Priest  read  a  paper  "  On  the  Hexactinellidse,"  which  he  illus- 
trated by  numerous  diagrams. 

Mr  J.  G.  "Waller  thought  that  Mr.  Priest  was  to  be  thanked  for  having 
brought  this  subject  before  them,  and  for  having  compiled  it  in  a  very  easy 
and  familiar  manner. 

A  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Priest  for  his  j:>aper  was  proposed  by 
the  President,  and  carried  unanimously. 

The  President  said  he  had  two  or  three  small  matters  with  regard  to 
the  excursions,  to  bring  before  the  notice  of  the  Club,  some  of  which 
related  to  the  past,  and  others  to  the  future.  He  wished  to  say,  First,  that 
the  plan  which  had  been  adopted  of  placing  in  the  hands  of  members  blank 
forms  to  be  filled  up  with  the  particulars  of  specimens  found,  and  to  be 
posted  to  the  Secretary  of  the  Excursions  Committee  during  the  week,  had 
been  eminently  successful,  not  only  in  identifying  and  preserving  a  record 
of  the  objects,  but  also  in  stimulating  those  concerned  to  exert  themselves 
to  know  something  of  the  objects  which  have  been  found.  Secondly,  at 
each  of  the  gossip  nights  the  Secretary  proposes  to  bring  down  the  papers 
relating  to  the  previous  excursions  for  the  members  to  look  over. 

The  President  then  read  lists  of  the  objects  found  at  the  excursions  to 
the  Botanic  Gardens  and  to  Chingford,  and  expressed  a  hope  that  a  larger 


44 

proportion  of  members  than  one-fourth  would  take  the  papers  on  the  next 
occasion,  and  would  do  their  best  to  fill  them  up. 

Announcements  of  excursions  and  meetings  for  the  ensuing  month 
were  made,  and  it  was  mentioned  that  owing  to  continued  illness  Mr. 
Gilburt  would  be  unable  to  fulfil  his  engagement  to  give  a  demonstration 
on  June  13th,  but  that  the  Secretaries  were  doing  their  best  to  provide 
some  substitute. 

Members  were  reminded  that  at  the  next  ordinary  meeting  they  would 
be  called  upon  to  nominate  gentlemen  to  fill  four  vacancies  upon  the  Com- 
mittee, to  be  filled  up  by  election  at  the  annual  meeting  in  July. 

The  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione,  and  the  follow- 
ing objects  wrere  exhibited: — 

Silk  cotton  (qy.,  Bombax)       ...  ...  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Section  of  Pampas  grass,  Gynerium  Sp.      ...     Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Ova  and  larva  of   Tabanus      ...         ...  ...     Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Euplectella         ...  ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 

Bursaria  truncatella     ...         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Rousselet; 

Trans.  Sec.  stem  of  Bignonia  clanbrasiliana  ...     Mr.  W.  D.  Smith, 

Attendance — Members,  61 ;  Visitors,  2. 


May  30th,  1884. — Special  Exhibition  Meeting. 

By  the  kind  permission  of  the  College  a  special  meeting  was  held  for  the 
exhibition  of  objects  of  microscopical  interest,  which  meeting  was  at- 
tended by  about  130  members,  and  160  visitors.  The  following  is  a  list 
of  the  principal  objects  exhibited  in  the  library,  the  museum  of  the 
College  being  also  thrown  open  for  the  occasion: — 

Leptodora  Jiyalina  ...         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Serpentine  from  the  Lizard       ...  ...  ...     Mr.  J.  W.  Bailey. 

Gabbro  from  Silesia  

Carcinns  mcenas  (Shore  crab).     Zoe  stage     .. 

Asterina  gibbosa  (Gibbous  starlet).    Young    .. 

Larva  of  Carcinns  mcenas 

Epiera  diadema,  just  hatched    ... 

CEcistes  (itmbella  ?) 

Crystals  of  silver 

„       ,,    santonine     ... 

Antenna  of  Emperor  Moth 

Tingis  hystricellus 

Tongue  of  Mason  Wasp... 

Crystals  of  Platino.cyanide  of  magnesia 

Foraminifera  (Miliolina  oblonga)         ...         ...  „  ,, 

Diatoms,  Coscinodiscus,  sp.       ...         ...         ...  „  „ 

Fredericella  sultana       ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  E.  Dadswell. 

Circulation  in  the  gills  of  a  Newt 

Cyclosis  in  JSitella  fragilis 


j> 

>> 

Mr. 

W. 

R.  Browne. 

jj 

>> 

Mr. 

E. 

Bucknall. 

j> 

>> 

Mr. 

W. 

G.  Cocks. 

Mr. 

A. 

L.  Corbett. 

M 

>i 

Mr. 

H 

,   Crouch. 

>> 

>> 

t) 

» 

>» 

>t 

45 


] 


Figure,    tinted  by  coloured  light,  and   seen') 
through  the  eye  of  Dytiscus  ...  ) 

Cyclosis  in  L'hara 

Young  locust,  (Edipoda  cruciata 

Hemileia  vastatrix.     Fungus  of  coffee  plant 

Section  of  Cacao  Bean,  showing  crystals  of 
Theobromine  and  starch  grains  in  situ 

Lojihopiis  crystallinus     ... 

Diatoms,  Arachnoid!  scvs,  in  situ 

Eyes  of  Spider    ... 

Leg  of  Blowfly,  showing  muscles,  nerves,  &c. 

Rectal  valve  and  papillae 

Reproductive  organs  of  male  bird's  beak  fly... 

Micro  harmonic  curves  and  micro  rulings, 
4,000  lines  to  the  inch ;  larger  figures  on 
glass  for  lantern,  and  various  pendulo- 
graphs... 

Cyclosis  in  Nitella 

Statoblasts  of  Cristatella  mucedo 

Tubifex  rivulorum 

Limnodrilus  Udckemianus 
,,  Hoffmeisteri 

Spongilla  JluviatiUs 

Carchesium,  sp.  ... 

Photo-micrographs  of  Rock  sections,  crystals, 
&c,  taken  by  polarized  light 

Section  of  Butcher's  Broom 
,,        ,,    Mistletoe 

Circulation  and  respiration  in  the  tadpole 

Young  fry  of  the  Stone  Loach... 

Scale  of  Turbot... 

Tortoise-shell  Beetle 

Marine  annelids 

Schizonema  Grevillei 

Dermaleichus  from  Woodpecker 

Leptodorahyalina 

Archerina  Boltoni 

Acineta  tuber osa 

Podojjhrya,  sp.    ... 

Melicerta  tyro 

Ova  of  Galathea  squamifera 

Aphides  on  Primrose 

Fern  spores 

Lophopus  crystallinus     ... 

Plumatella  repens  ...         ... 

Sections  of  coal 

Cyclosis  in  Nitella 


} 


Mr. 

A. 

Dean. 

Mr. 

C. 

A.  Drake. 

Mr. 

F. 

Enock. 

Mr. 

H. 

Epps. 

>> 

>> 

Rev 

.  B 

!.  Fase. 

>> 

j) 

>} 

>? 

Mr. 

F. 

Fitch. 

»j 

>> 

>> 

n 

Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 


Mr.  W.  Hainworth. 


Mr.  A.  Hammond. 


>) 


Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

James  How  and  Co. 
Mr.  C.  Le  Pelley. 

Mr.  T.  J.  McManis. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Dr.  Matthews. 

>>         j> 
Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  T.  S.  Morten. 
Mr.  J.  H.  Oliver. 

>t  » 

Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 

Mr.  T.  Plowman,  junr. 

j>  >> 

Mr.  F.  Reeve. 

Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

>>  it 

Mr.  James  Russell. 


i> 


»> 


46 

Helozoa    ...         ...  ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  James  Russell. 

Pediculus  vestimenti       ...         ...         ...  ...     Mr.  W.  Smart. 

yy  SCd'OBl/  •••  •»•  •••  hi  n 

Volcanic  ash  from  Charn wood  Forest... 
Phonolite  from  Cornwall 
Leucite  and  Dolor ite  from  Eifel 
Trachyte  ,,         ,,  „      Rhine 

Trans,  sec.  spinal  cord  of  Calf 

„       „     Human  Kidney 
Planorbis  corneus 
Cholestrin  from  alveolar  abscess         ...  ...         „  „ 

Foraminifera.    Lagena...  ...  ...  ...     Mr.  A.  C.  Tipple. 

Ichneumon  fly,  Diapria  ...  ...  ...     Mr.  J.  J.  Vezey. 

Saprolegnia  Gahbardensis         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  J.  G.  Waller. 

,,  Varniensis ...  ...  ...  ...  „  ,, 

Crystals,  Platino-cyanide  of  Strontium  ...     Mr.  J.  Willson. 


5> 

>» 

Mr.  G. 

Smith. 

>» 

>> 

j> 

»» 

>' 

>> 

Mr.  F. 

Steele. 

>> 

>» 

Mr.  J. 

G.  Tasker. 

June  13th,  1884. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  sixth  and  last  of  the  second  series  of  demonstrations  "  On  Staining 
Vegetable  Tissues,"  which  was  to  have  been  given  by  Mr.  Gilburt,  was 
taken  up  by  Mr.  W.  Dalton  Smith. 

After  remarking  that  he  had  been  somewhat  hastily  called  upon  to 
supply  the  place  of  Mr.  Gilburt,  whose  absence  by  reason  of  illness  all 
must  regret,  Mr.  Smith  proceeded  substantially  as  follows  : — 

"Staining,  as  applied  to  Vegetable  Tissues,  is  used  for  three  chief  pur- 
poses — 

1st.  For  rendering  objects,  which  would  otherwise  be  too  transparent, 
more  distinct,  e.g.,  cell-walls. 

2nd.  For  differentiating  one  tissue  from  another,  e.g.,  cells  from  vessels. 

3rd.   For  differentiating  the  protoplasm  from  the  formed  material. 

The  various  kinds  of  stains  employed  for.  these  different  purposes  may 
be  conveniently  grouped  in  accordance  with  the  end  in  view,  thns  : — 

1st.  For  rendering  cell-walls,  &C,  more  distinct,  the  single  stains,  log- 
wood, carmine,  or  one  of  the  aniline  dyes. 

2nd.  For  differentiating  various  tissues,  double  stains,  of  which  tho 
more  usually  employed  are  carmine  and  aniline  green,  picro-carmine,  and 
magenta  and  aniline  blue. 

3rd.  For  staining  the  protoplasm  only,  Dr.  Beale's  carmine  solution  is 
usually  employed. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  to  describe  all  these  processes  to-night,  since 
many  of  them  have  been  fully  treated  of  already;  notably,  single  staining 
in  aniline  dyes,  and  double  staining  in  magenta  and  aniline  blue,  by  Mr. 
Gilburt,  in  a  paper  read  before  this  Club  May  25th,  1877;  and  double 
staining  in  picro-carmine  by  Mr.  Stiles,  in  the  "  Northern  Microscopist  " 
for  July,  1881.     Dr.  "Bealo,  too,  in  "  How  to  Work  with  the  Microscope," 


47 

gives  directions  for  the  preparation  of  the  carmine  stain  that  bears  his 
name. 

I  propose,  therefore,  to  bring  before  your  notice  to-night  two  processes 
only,  viz.,  single  staining  in  logwood,  and  double  staining  in  carmine 
and  aniline  green,  and  shall  refer  only  to  the  staining  of  sections,  the 
methods  being  equally  applicable  to  sections  of  stems,  petioles,  peduncles, 
leaves,  ovaries,  &c.  In  every  case  I  shall  confine  myself  to  facts,  and 
only  describe  methods  that  I  have  tried  and  proved  to  be  successful. 

Before  I  begin  the  practical  part  of  this  demonstration,  let  us  assume 
that  we  have  a  piece  of  the  stem  of  a  plant,  from  which  we  wish  to  mount 
some  sections.  The  various  processes  which  will  have  to  be  employed 
before  the  section  is  ready  to  be  put  away  in  the  cabinet  may  be  con- 
veniently grouped  as  follows  : — 

1st.  Cutting,  which  may  be  subdivided  into  three  processes  — 

(a)  The  preliminary  preparation  of  the  stem,  hardening  or  softening, 
as  the  case  may  be. 

(b)  The  process  of  imbedding  in  a  suitable  material,  and 

(c)  The  cutting  process. 

2nd.  Staining,  which  may  in  like  manner  be  sub-divided  into  two  pro- 
cesses — 

(a)  Bleaching,  and 

(b)  Staining  proper. 

3rd.  Mounting,  which  may  include  also  labelling. 

Whether  we  use  logwood,  carmine,  or  other  stain,  we  must  first  pre- 
pare the  sections  for  receiving  the  stains  by  bleaching,  except  in  the 
few  instances  where  they  are  already  colourless.  If,  as  in  the  present 
instance,  we  wish  to  stain  the  formed  material  only,  without  having 
regard  to  the  cell-contents,  either  in  order  to  render  the  outlines  of  the 
cells,  fibres,  and  vessels  more  distinct,  or  to  differentiate  them  one  from 
the  other,  the  only  preparation  I  have  found  of  any  use  is  a  solution  of 
chlorinated  soda,  which  may  be  prepared  as  follows  : — 

Dissolve  2oz.  of  powdered  washing  soda  (hydrated  sodium  carbonate) 
in  half-a-pint  of  distilled  water.  Then  shake  up  thoroughly  loz.  of 
chloride  of  lime  in  a  like  quantity  of  distilled  water  ;  add  to  this  the 
solution  of  soda,  and  again  shake  thoroughly.  A  precipitate  of  carbonate 
of  lime  will  be  formed,  the  chlorinated  soda  remaining  in  solution.  Allow 
the  precipitate  to  settle,  pour  off  the  clear  solution,  filter  it,  and  preserve 
it  in  a  well-stoppered  bottle  in  the  dark.  It  is  essential  that  the  soda 
should  be  slightly  in  excess,  as,  if  the  chloride  of  lime  is  not  completely 
neutralized,  the  lime  that  is  left  will  combine  with  the  carbonic  acid  of 
the  air  during  the  process  of  bleaching,  forming  a  film  of  chalk,  which 
will  settle  on  the  sections  and  completely  ruin  them.  It  will  be  best, 
after  the  preparation  is  completed,  to  test  a  small  quantity  of  the  fluid 
by  adding  to  it  some  more  solution  of  soda,  when,  if  no  precipitate  is 
formed,  we  may  conclude  that  the  chloride  of  lime  is  completely  neu- 
tralized. Should  a  precipitate,  however,  be  formed,  we  must  add  more 
solution  of  soda  to  the  bleaching  fluid,  re-filter,  again  test,  and,  if  necessary, 


48 

repeat  the  process  until  we  get  a  satisfactory  result.  The  chloride  of  lime 
should  be  as  freshly  prepared  as  possible,  and  therefore  it  will  be  best  to 
purchase  it  as  we  require  it.  It  should  be  a  perfectly  dry  powder — if  at 
all  moist  it  will  be  useless  for  our  purpose. 

If  the  sections  have  been  preserved  in  dilute  spirit,  they  must  be  floated 
on  distilled  water,  and,  when  they  have  all  sunk  to  the  bottom,  as  much  of 
the  water  as  possible  must  be  drained  off,  and  a  considerable  quantity  of  the 
bleaching  fluid  poured  over  them.  Examine  the  sections  from  time  to  time, 
holding  the  vessel  containing  them  against  a  white  background ;  a  white 
china  tile,  such  as  can  be  bought  at  any  artists'  colourman  for  a  few  pence, 
answers  admirably.  Do  not  allow  them  to  remain  in  the  bleaching  fluid 
longer  than  is  necessary,  but,  directly  they  are  quite  bleached,  pour  off  the 
fluid  and  fill  the  vessel  up  with  clean  water.  Repeat  the  washing  at  least 
five  or  six  times,  allowing  the  sections  to  remain  in  the  water  for  at  least 
12  hours,  and  using  distilled  water  for  the  last  washing;  then  preserve 
them  in  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  of  methylated  spirit  and  water  until  they 
are  required  for  staining. 

In  order  to  stain  the  sections  with  logwood,  the  first  thing,  of  course,  is 
to  procure  a  suitable  staining  fluid,  and  for  this  purpose  a  preparation  in- 
vented by  Dr.  Mitchell,  of  Philadelphia,  and  described  in  "  The  Science 
Monthly  "  for  March  last,  gives  by  far  the  finest  results  of  any  stain  I  have 
yet  seen.  The  principles  involved  in  its  preparation  are  as  follows  :  Log- 
wood contains,  besides  the  colouring  matter,  considerable  quantities  of 
tannin,  and  vegetable  infusions  containing  tannin  are  quickly  influenced 
by  the  action  of  light  and  air.  This  is  the  cause  of  the  muddy  sediment 
deposited  by  most  logwood  stains,  the  colouring  matter  being  also  seriously 
affected  by  the  decomposition.  Now,  tannin  is  readily  soluble  in  cold 
water,  whilst  the  colouring  matter  is  but  very  slightly  soluble  in  that 
fluid  ;  hence,  by  washing  the  logwood,  finely  divided,  with  cold  water,  the 
injurious  tannin  will  be  removed  without  the  staining  properties  of  the 
logwood  being  materially  affected. 

Dr.  Mitchell's  directions,  slightly  modified,  are  as  follows  :  First  grind 
up  some  logwood  chips  in  a  coffee-mill.  Then  place  the  ground  chips  in  a 
linen  bag  in  a  percolator,  and  pour  cold  distilled  water  over  them  until  the 
liquid  coming  through  is  very  slightly  coloured  and  has  no  astringent  taste. 
Then  squeeze  out  as  much  of  the  water  as  possible,  and  spread  the  log- 
wood on  a  plate  to  dry. 

Take  of  the  dried  prepared  chips,  1  oz. 

Ground  potash  alum,  4^  drs. 

Distilled  water,  6  fl.  oz. 

Glycerine,  2  fl.  oz. 

Dissolve  the  alum  in  the  water,  then  add  the  glycerine  and  mix 
thoroughly.  Macerate  the  logwood  in  this  mixture  for  48  hours,  stirring  at 
intervals,  filter  the  resulting  stain,  and  preserve  it  in  a  stoppered  bottle. 

Not  only  does  the  stain,  thus  prepared,  give  a  very  beautiful  colour  to 
the  sections,  cool  to  the  eyes,  and  wonderfully  sharp  in  outline  ;  but  it  is 
also  so  selective  that  the  various  kinds  of  tissue  are  really  differentiated,  so 


49 

that  for  many  sections  a  double  stain  is  scarcely  required.     The  process  of 
staining  with  it  is  as  follows : — 

First,  place  the  sections  in  distilled  water,  then  add  20  drops  of  the  log- 
wood  stain  to  1  fl.  oz.  of  distilled  water,  filter,  and  then  place  the  sections 
in  this  for  about  half  an  hour. 

Some  sections,  of  course,  will  require  a  longer  time  than  others.  They 
must  be  examined  from  time  to  time,  and  when  sufficiently  stained  should 
be  washed  thoroughly  in  distilled  water.  They  are  now  to  be  placed  in  methy- 
lated spirit  for  at  least  half  an  hour,  when  they  will  be  ready  for  mounting. 

If  it  is  not  desired  to  mount  them  at  once,  they  can  be  preserved  for 
any  length  of  time  in  the  spirit. 

Let  us  now  consider  the  method  of  double  staining  in  carmine  and  aniline 
green.     You  have  all  probably  seen  the  directions  given  in  various  books  on 
this  subject,  the  whole  process  occupying  something  over  24  hours.    Doubt- 
less this  plan  has  answered  in  some  hands,  but,  although  I  have  spoilt  some 
hundreds  of  sections  in  endeavouring  to  stain  them  according  to  the   direc 
tions  given,  I  have  never  succeeded  in  getting  even  fairly   good  results. 
When  I  was  almost  in  despair,  my  friend,  Mr.  Martin  Cole,  kindly  showed 
me  a  very  superior  method  of   staining  in  borax  carmine,  and  this  method, 
somewhat  modified,  I  have  adopted  ever  since,  with  the  most  satisfactory 
results.     One  difficulty  was  ta  get  the  aniline  green  stain  to  take  a  firm 
hold  of  the  wood  and  bast  tissues,  so  as  not  to  wash  out  duinng  the  soaking 
in  alcohol ;  and,  after  various   experiments,  I  found   that  the  only  way  to 
ensure  this  was  to  stain  the  sections  with  an  aqueous  solution  of  the  colour, 
and  then  to  wash  them  in  alcohol  and  so  fix  the  stain,  which,  however,  clung 
to  them  so  tenaciously  that  they  would  bear   soaking  in  water  for  a  con- 
siderable time  without  any  fear  of  its  being  washed  out.     I  found  also  that 
it  was  necessary  to  stain  with  the  green   before  staining  with  the  carmine, 
since  the  latter  was  very  speedily  removed  by  water,  and  required  washing 
in  alcohol   to   fix    it.     Acting  on  the  knowledge  thus  acquired,  I  have  now 
entirely  discarded  the  use  of  alcohol  in  all  the  staining  fluids  I  employ,  and 
invariably  make  use  of  glycerine  as   a  preservative  in  its  stead.     I  should 
also  mention  that  I  have  given  up  the  use  of  iodine  green,  aud  always  use  a 
solution  of  an  aniline  dye  known  as  "  acid  green,"  since  I  find  this  gives  far 
better  and  more  reliable  results.     It  can  be   bought  at  Messrs.  Skilbeck 
Brothers,  205,  Upper  Thames  Street,  E.C.,  ?lb.  of  the  best  quality  costing 
3s.  3d. 

The  green  stain  is  prepared  as  follows : — 

Take  of  acid  green,  2  grs. 

Distilled  water,  3  fl.  oz. 

Glycerine,  1  fl.  oz. 

Thoroughly  mix   the  glycerine  and  water,  dissolve  the  acid  green  in  the 
mixture,  filter,  and  preserve  in  a  stoppered  bottle. 

The  borax  carmine  stain  is  prepared  thus : — 

(a.)  Powdered  borax,  10  grs. 
Distilled  water  1£  fl.  oz. 
Glycerine,  |  fl.  oz 
Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  9.  e 


50 

Dissolve  the  borax  in  the  water,  then  add  the  glycerine  and  mix 
thoroughly. 

(6.)  Carmine,  5  grs. 

Liquor  ammoniae  fortiss,  20  m. 
Distilled  water.  30  m. 

Dissolve  the  carmine  in  the  ammonia  and  water  in  a  test  tube,  with  the 
aid  of  heat,  and  set  aide  to  cool.  Then  add  a  to  b,  mix  thoroughly,  filter, 
and  preserve  in  a  stoppered  bottle. 

I  have  found  that  the  glycerine  being  mixed  with  the  borax  solution 
effectually  prevents  the  solution  of  carmine  from  changing  to  the  dull  lilac 
colour  it  assumes  when  the  glycerine  is  not  so  employed.  The  stain,  when 
completed,  should  be  of  a  pure  and  brilliant  ruby  red. 

The  method  of  double  staining  in  these  two  colours  is  as  follows : — 

1.  Soak  the  sections  in  distilled  water  for  a  few  minutes. 

2.  Place  them  in  the  acid  green  stain  for  from  8-5  minutes.  They  will 
then  be  uniformly  stained  green. 

3.  Wash  them  thoroughly  in  two  changes  of  distilled  water. 

4.  Place  them  in  the  carmine  stain  for  fire  times  as  long  as  they  were  in 
the  green,  i.e.,  for  from  15-25  minutes,  stirring  them  about  in  the  stain  with 
a  camel's-hair  brush  from  time  to  time. 

5.  Wash  them  very  thoroughly  in  two  changes  of  methylated  spirit, 
allowing  them  to  remain  in  it  for  at  least  15  minutes. 

6.  Float  them  in  oil  of  cloves,  and  as  soon  as  they  sink  to  the  bottom  of 
their  own  accord  they  are  ready  for  mounting  in  balsam,  the  whole  process, 
at  the  outside,  taking  no  more  than  an  hour  for  its  completion. 

The  sections  can  be  preserved  for  some  time  in  the  oil  of  cloves  if  they  are 
kept  carefully  in  the  dark,  but  it  is  best  to  mount  them  as  soon  after  stain- 
ing as  possible. 

It  will  be  observed  that  by  this  method,  although  the  bast  and  wood  are 
very  perfectly  differentiated  from  the  cellular  tissue,  they  are  not  differen- 
tiated at  all  from  each  other.  I  would  suggest  that  the  differentiation  of 
the  fibres  from  the  vessels  may  prove  a  profitable  direction  in  which  to 
experiment. 

In  order  to  cut  really  good  sections,  three  things  are  absolutely 
necessary  : — 

1st.  The  object  must  be  properly  prepared. 

2nd.  It  must  be  properly  imbedded  ;  and 

3rd.  It  must  be  properly  cut. 

I  am  afraid  people  generally  look  upon  the  first  as  a  rather  superfluous 
proceeding.  Animal  tissues,  of  course,  require  very  careful  preparation, 
but  vegetable  stems  or  leaves  are  looked  upon  as  quite  ready  to  be  cut  just 
as  they  are  taken  from  the  plant.  Never  was  there  a  greater  mistake  ; 
woody  stems  are  generally  much  too  hard  to  be  cut  without  previous 
softening,  whilst  leaves,  petioles,  peduncles,  and  tubers  are  generally  far  too 
soft. 

The  plan  I  would  suggest  is  this  : — 

1st.  If  the  object  is  too  large  to  be  cut  whole,  divide  it  into  pieces  of  a 


51 

suitable  size  for  the  well  of  the  microtome,  removing,  at  the  same  time,  all 
extraneous  matter,  and  all  parts  of  which  it  is  not  desired  to  make  sections. 

Stems,  petioles,  and  peduncles  should  be  cut  into  pieces  about  an  inch 
long. 

Leaves  of  Dicotyledons  should  include  the  mid-rib  if  possible. 

Boots  and  tubers  should  be  first  cut  with  a  cork-borer  into  cylinders  of 
about  |  to  f  inch  in  diameter,  taking  care  that  the  axis  of  the  cylinder  is  at 
right  angles  to  the  direction  in  which  the  sections  are  to  be  cut. 

2nd,  Hard  objects,  such  as  woody  stems,  are  placed  in  distilled  water 
for  two  or  three  days,  changing  the  water  every  day,  to  dissolve  out  gummy 
matters. 

3rd,  They  are  placed  in  pure  methylated  spirit  for  three  or  four  days, 
changing  the  spirit  every  day,  to  dissolve  out  resinous  substances.  They 
may  then  be  placed  in  a  mixture  of  equal  parts  methylated  spirit  and  dis- 
tilled water,  until  it  is  desired  to  cut  them  up. 

If  any  of  the  objects  are  still  too  hard,  they  must  be  soaked  in  distilled 
water  for  a  day  or  two,  immediately  before  cutting.  If  this  does  not  suffice, 
they  must  be  placed  in  hot,  or  even  boiling,  water,  for  as  long  as  may  be 
necessary,  the  vessel  containing  them  being  kept  in  a  warm  place. 

4th.  Soft  tissues  must  be  hardened  in  alcohol — dilute,  strong,  or  even 
absolute,  as  may  be  required. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  these  are  only  general  rules.  The  experi- 
ence gained  by  practice  will  enable  special  cases  to  be  treated  in  an  appro- 
priate manner. 

By  far  the  best  substance  in  which  to  embed  the  object  is  carrot.  It  is 
important  that  this  should  be  quite  fresh  and  crisp,  so  as  to  break  short  off, 
without  bending.  If  it  is  flabby  it  will  not  hold  the  object  sufficiently  firm  ; 
it  may  be  preserved  in  good  condition  for  a  few  day3  by  being  placed  in 
cold  water,  and  kept  in  a  cool  place. 

A  piece  should  be  cut  with  a  suitable  punch  to  accurately  fit  the  well  of 
the  microtome,  and  the  ends  cut  off  square.  It  is  then  to  be  divided  longi- 
tudinally down  the  centre,  and  the  object  imbedded  in  it,  so  that,  when  the 
two  halves  are  placed  together,  the  object  may  be  rigidly  supported  on  all 
sides,  without  being  unduly  squeezed.  The  whole  secret  of  successful  im- 
bedding lies  in  this.  If  the  object  be  not  sufficiently  firmly  held,  or  if  it  be 
pressed  too  hard,  in  either  case  good  sections  cannot  be  cut.  They  will 
either  be  of  unequal  thickness,  owing  to  the  material  giving  under  the  pres- 
sure of  the  knife,  or  will  be  broken  by  the  squeezing  it  has  received. 

The  plug  of  carrot  containing  the  object  is  placed  in  the  well  of  the  micro- 
tome, when  it  will  be  ready  for  cutting  ;  the  microtome  should  be  clamped 
to  the  table,  so  that  both  hands  are  at  liberty,  and  the  object  should  be  kept 
flooded  with  a  mixture  of  spirit  and  water. 

The  stroke  should  be  made  from,  never  towards,  the  operator ;  the  razor 
should  be  hollow  ground,  and  must  have  been  rubbed  down  on  a  hone  until, 
when  placed  on  a  level  surface,  every  point  of  both  back  and  edge  touch  at 
the  same  time ;  this  is  absolutely  essential  if  we  wish  to  cut  good  sections. 

As  regards  the  thickness  of  the  sections,  they  should  generallv  be  of  about 


52 

that  of  a  row  and  a  half  of  cells ;  but  this  must,  of  course,   vary  with  the 
special  point  it  is  required  to  elucidate. 

After  the  sections  have  been  cut  they  may  be  preserved  for  any  length 
of  time  jin  a  mixture  of  spirit  and  water,  until  required  for  bleaching  and 
staining. 

In  mounting  the  preparations  when  stained,  two  things  must  be  con- 
sidered, viz.,  the  medium  to  be  used,  and  the  method  of  using  it. 

The  only  medium  I  have  found  suitable  for  mounting  sections,  stained  by 
either  of  the  methods  I  have  described,  is  Canada  balsam,  hardened  and  dis- 
solved in  benzole.  I  have  never  yet  been  able  to  purchase  any  ready  pre- 
pared that  I  considered  suitable,  and  have  been  compelled  to  make  my  own  ; 
the  method  which  I  employed,  and  found  successful,  is  as  follows: — 

About  half  a  pound  of  ordinary  Canada  balsam  is  placed  in  a  soup-plate, 
and  warmed  gently  for  some  weeks,  being  stirred  two  or  three  times  daily. 
I  prepared  mine  on  the  top  of  the  hot-water  cistern  of  a  bath-room,  and 
found  this  answer  very  well.  As  soon  as  when  cool — not  cold, — it  can  be 
drawn  out  into  tough  threads,  and  does  not  stick  to  the  fingers,  it  is  to  be 
placed  in  a  bottle,  and  covered  with  bsnzole.  In  a  few  days  it  will  be  dis- 
solved, and  is  then  to  be  filtered  through  filtering  paper  moistened  with 
benzole,  when  it  will  be  ready  for  use.  I  find  I  get  a  far  better  preparation 
by  dissolving  the  balsam  whilst  tough  than  by  continuing  the  drying  until 
it  becomes  hard  and  brittle,  as  recommended  by  some.  If  properly  pre- 
pared, it  should  be  of  a  pale  colour,  and  of  about  the  consistency  of  oil  of 
cloves. 

The  method  of  using  it  is  as  follows  : — 

A  glass  slip  is  breathed  on,  and  a  clean  cover  placed  instantly  on  the  slip, 
to  which  it  adheres.  A  drop  of  two  of  the  balsam,  prepared  as  I  have  de- 
scribed, is  then  placed  on  the  cover.  The  object,  which  must  be  mounted 
direct  from  the  oil  of  cloves,  has  as  much  as  possible  of  the  oil  drained  off, 
and  is  then  placed  in  the  balsam  and  covered  with  a  few  drops  more  of  the 
same  medium,  and  the  whole  is  pat  away  out  of  the  dust  for  12  hours  or 
longer. 

A  fresh  drop  of  balsam  is  now  placed  on  the  object,  and  the  cover,  with 
the  object  and  balsam  on  it,  is  turned  over  on  to  a  clean  slip.  The  latter  is 
then  gently  warmed,  and  the  cover  pressed  down. 

In  a  few  hours  the  superfluous  balsam  can  be  scraped  off,  and  the  slide 
cleaned  with  a  rag  dipped  in  methylated  spirit.  If  the  balsam  has  been  pre- 
pared as  I  have  described,  there  need  be  no  fear  of  the  cover  being  displaced 
during  this  prooess. 

The  slide  can  then  be  finished  off  with  white  zinc  cement,  or  any  other 
that  is  preferred,  and,  when  this  is  hard,  can  be  labelled  and  put  away  in 
the  cabinet. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  Library  : — 

Ahyonclla  fnngosa         ...         ...  ...         ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Trans,  sec.  Sciatic  Nerve  ...  ...  ...      Mr.  M.  J.  Cole. 

Vert.  sec.  Mncous  Membrane  from  Stomach) 
of  Dog ) 


»  » 


53 


Diatomacese  from  Ormsby  Broad 

Tubi f ex  rivulonnn 

Capitella  capitata 

Coccus  of  the  vine 

Diatoms,  Aulacodiscus  Sturtii  ... 

Diatoms,     Amphipleura    23&Uucida    in 

Smith's  new  medium  ... 
Floscularia  omata 
Sections  of  leaves  of  Pinus  pinea 

„  cotyledon  of  Pinus  pinea 

Fredericella  sultana 
Trans,  sec.  stem  of  Mistletoe  ... 
,,        ,,     leaf  stalk  of  Camelia 


Prof.  | 

J 


Mr.  H.  G.  Glasspoole. 
Mr.  A.  Hammond. 

>)  )} 

Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

Mr.  R.  Nevins. 
Mr.  J.  W.  Reed. 

Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 
Mr.  W.  D.  Smith. 
Mr.  J.  Woollett. 


Attendances — Members,  51  ;  Visitors,  3. 


»> 


June    27th,    188-4. — Ordinary    Meeting. 
Dr.    M.    C.    Cooke,    M.A.,    A.L.S.,    President,    in  the    Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and   duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club:— Mr.  Edward  Bates,  Mr.  Walter  L.  Burrows,  and  Mr.  Sydney 
Cooper  Tress. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Geologists'  Association  "...     From  the  Society. 
"Proceedings  of  the  Hertfordshire  Natural) 
History  Society "         ...  ...  ...  J 

"  The  American  Naturalist  "     ... 
"The     American     Monthly     Microscopical") 
Journal "  ...  ...  ...  ...  ) 

"Science  Monthly" 
"Science  Gossip  " 

Cole's  "  Studies  in  Microscopical  Science"     ... 
"  Annals  of  Natural  History"... 
Two  photographs  of  Excursionists  at  Chingford 
The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

Mr.  T.  C.  White  said  that  in  presenting  the  photographs  he  should  like  to 
say  that  they  must  be  considered  as  the  work  of  only  just  a  beginner.  He 
regretted  that  they  did  not  include  the  whole  of  the  63  members  who 
went  to  the  excursion,  but  they  were  most  of  them  wandering,  and  he  jnst 
caught  the  few  only  who  sat  down  together  by  the  pool  at  Fairmead.  The 
photograph  of  the  hotel  was  not  so  clear  as  it  ought,  and  was  desired,  to  be, 
but  it  was  taken  about  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  when  the  light  was  by  no 
means  good,  and  although  there  was  five  seconds'  exposure  with  open  aper- 
ture the  result  was  a  rather  dark  picture. 

The  President  reminded  the  members  that  the  time  had  come  round  again 
for  them  to  nominate  gentlemen  for  election  as  officers  and  Council  for  the 


In  Exchange. 


From  the  Editor. 

„         Publisher. 
Purchased. 

From  Mr.  T.  C.  White. 


54 

ensuing  year.  The  election  would  take  place  at  their  next  meeting,  being 
the  annual  meeting  of  the  Club.  He  asked  the  Secretary  to  read  the  list  of 
officers  nominated  by  the  Committee. 

The  Secretary  then  read  the  list  of  nominations  as  follows,  viz. : — 

As  President,  Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  F.R.S.;  as  Vice-Presidents,  Dr.  M.  C. 
Cooke,  Dr.  Matthews,  Mr.  Chas.  Stewart,  and  Mr.  Michael.  Other  officers 
the  same  as  last  time,  and  as  auditor  on  behalf  of  the  Committee,  Mr, 
Hainworth. 

The  President  then  requested  the  members  to  nominate  gentlemen  to  fill 
the  four  vacancies  caused  by  the  retirement  of  Dr.  Matthews,  Mr.  Priest, 
Mr.  Waller,  and  Mr.  Hembry.  Though  only  four  would  be  elected,  they 
liked  to  have  at  least  six  nominated,  so  that  the  election  by  ballot  was  not  a 
mere  matter  of  form. 

The  following  nominations  were  then  made : — 
Mr.  J.  W.  Reed,  proposed  by  Mr.  Parsons,  and  seconded  by  Mr.  Newton. 
Mr.  J.  Parsons  „         ,,    Mr.  Waddington  ,,  „  Dr.  Matthews. 

Mr.  T.  C.  White  „         „    Mr.  Dadswell  „  „  Mr.  Dobson. 

Mr.  B.  W.  Priest        „         „    Mr.  Hardy  „  „  Mr.  Emery. 

Mr.  E.  T.  Newton       „         „    Mr.  Lewis  „  „Mr.  A.  Smith. 

Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman    ,,         „    Mr.  Andrew  „  ,,  Mr.  Buffham. 

Mr.  Waller  ,,         ,,    Mr.  Newton  ,,  „  Mr  Michael. 

The  President  having  requested  the  members  to  appoint  an  auditor  to  act 
on  behalf  of  the  Club,  and  Mr.  Dobson  having  been  duly  nominated,  Messrs. 
Hainworth  and  Dobson  were  unanimously  elected  as  auditors. 

Mr.  R.  T.  Lewis  read  "  A  further  Note  on  Mermis  nigj'esce/is,"  the  subject 
being  illustrated  by  coloured  diagrams,  and  by  specimens  of  both  the  worm 
and  its  ova  exhibited  under  microscopes  in  the  room.  Living  specimens 
were  also  shown. 

The  President  said  that  Mr.  Lewis  had  commenced  with  an  apology  for 
having  brought  up  an  old  subject  before  them,  but  he  thought  that  subjects 
of  this  kind,  upon  which  additional  information  was  desired,  were  just  the 
kind  they  ought  to  have  brought  there. 

Mr.  Gr.  C.  Karop  said  that  the  whole  subject  Avas  so  involved  in  obscurity 
that  it  was  not  easy  to  say  what  was  the  entire  life-history  of  these 
creatures.  It  would  appear  that  the  ova  entered  the  larvae  of  insects  and 
there  underwent  development ;  when  fully  grown  the  first  thunder  shower 
seemed  to  induce  them  to  quit  their  first  hosts,  probably  for  the  purpose  of 
seeking  some  other  habitat  in  which  to  fully  mature. 

Mr.  Lewis  thought  that  the  fact  that  all  these  worms  were  found  containing 
large  quantities  of  ova,  which  whilst  under  observation  they  continually  ex- 
pelled, indicated  that  they  were  in  a  mature  condition.  Those  which  he  had 
kept  since  June  6th  had  remained  alive  and  active,  until  they  had  extruded 
the  whole  of  their  ova ;  a  few  days  after  this  was  accomplished  they  died 
their  purpose  in  nature  being  then,  as  he  supposed,  accomplished.  On  a 
former  occasion  it  had  been  suggested  that  the  electrical  conditions  of  the 
atmosphere  might  have  had  something  to  do  with  their  remarkable  appear- 
ances in  such  large  numbers  after  thunderstorms. 


55 

Mr.  Michael  doubted  whether  the  electrical  conditions  had  much  to  do 
with  the  matter,  except  that  during  the  summer  months  large  quantities  of 
rain  rarely  fell  unless  in  connection  with  thunderstorms.  He  thought  that 
if  the  ground  could  be  equally  flooded  without  any  thunder  the  worms  would 
no  doubt  come  out  in  the  same  manner,  their  object,  probably,  being  that  they 
might  get  washed  out  and  carried  down  into  the  streams  or  watercourses  ;  it 
was,  in  all  probability,  a  process  by  which  they  were  transferred  from  a 
terrestrial  to  an  aquatic  host.  Their  occnrrence  was  so  rare  that  their  life, 
history  was  not  very  perfectly  understood.  As  regarded  their  being  found 
upon  trees  and  shrubs,  it  should  be  remembered  that  they  were  able  to  move 
in  a  very  thin  film  of  water,  such  as  existed  upon  plants  after  a  heavy 
shower  of  rain. 

Mr.  Hardy  asked  in  what  manner  they  were  found  attached  to  plants  or 
shrubs  ? 

Mr.  Stokes  enquired  if  there  was  any  evidence  to  show  that  they  were 
really  aquatic  worms  ? 

Mr.  Karop  said  the  contention  was  that  being  sexually  immature  they 
were  in  course  of  transference  from  one  host  to  another,  in  which  their 
final  development  might  take  place. 

Mr.  T.  C.  White  said  he  had  once,  when  dissecting  an  insect,  been 
surprised  at  seeing  a  worm  of  considerable  length  issue  from  its  body. 

Mr.  Michael  thought  that  this  was  probably  one  of  the  fi'arian  worms. 

Mr.  Karop,  referring  to  Huxley's  "  Anatomy  of  the  Invertebrata,"  p. 
644,  read  the  following  note: — "The  insect  parasites,  Gorriius  and  Jlermis, 
are  sexless  so  long  as  they  are  parasitic,  but  when  they  have  attained  their 
full  growth  they  leave  the  bodies  of  their  hosts,  acquire  sexual  orgar.s, 
copulate,  and  lay  eggs;  from  these  the  embryos  proceed  which  bore  their  way 
into  the  bodies  of  insects." 

Mr.  Lewis,  in  reply,  said  that  they  attached  themselves  to  plants  by 
coiling  the  tail  round  the  stem  of  a  leaf  ;  the  body  then  hung  down  and 
waved  to  and  fro,  much  the  same  as  a  tree  snake  attached  itself  to  a 
branch.  He  had  no  evidence  of  their  being  aquatic,  but  as  they  dried  up 
and  became  hard  and  shrivelled  when  deprived  of  moisture  he  had  put  them 
into  water  as  a  likely  means  of  keeping  them  alive  for  observation.  Those 
exhibited  in  the  room  had  lived  under  these  conditions  for  more  than  three 
weeks,  but  having  meanwhile  laid  nearly  all  their  eggs  he  expected  that  they 
would  now  soon  die. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Lewis  for  his  communica- 
tion. 

Mr.  F.  Kitton's  paper"  On  some  New  Diatoms  found  in  Japanese  Oysters  " 
was  taken  as  read,  it  being  of  a  somewhat  technical  character.  It  will  ba 
found  printed  in  extenso  on  a  previous  page. 

Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy  exhibited  and  described  a  useful  contrivance  for  collect- 
ing and  examining  aquatic  specimens  whilst  out  on  excursions — it  consisted 
of  two  plates  of  glass  with  a  narrow  strip  of  thick  indiarubber  cemented 
between  them  on  three  sides,  the  fourth  side  being  left  open,  and  thus 
forming  a  very  convenient  flat  bottle  for  the  side  coat  pocket.     The  space 


56 

between  the  glasses  being  sufficient  to  allow  of  Anacharis  5  in.  long  to  be 
inserted  without  pressure,  at  the  same  time  enabling  the  collector  to  bring 
all  parts  of  the  weed  into  good  focus.  By  the  insertion  of  an  indiarubber 
flat  cork  the  bottle  is  rendered  water  tight,  and  can  be  used  as  a  slide  on 
the  stage  of  the  microscope  so  as  to  obviate  the  necessity  of  disturbing  the 
weed  should  any  object  of  interest  be  observed  when  collecting.  He  also 
showed  a  simple  and  effective  method  of  straining  the  water  poured  into 
or  out  of  an  ordinary  wide-mouthed  collecting  bottle,  by  means  of  a  small 
cylinder  of  copper  wire  gauze  which  extended  np  above  the  neck  of  the 
bottle. 

Mr.  Waddington  said  he  could  speak  very  favourably  of  the  first  de- 
scribed form  of  collecting  bottle,  having  nsed  the  same  thing  for  the  last 
two  yeax-s  when  collecting  Zoophytes  at  the  seaside.  The  only  difficulty  he 
had  found  was  in  getting  a  cement  which  would  stand  the  action  of  sea 
water.  He  had,  however,  used  with  entire  success  a  sea  water  varnish  made 
of  marine  glue  dissolved  in  chloroform,  which  he  found  was  entirely  im- 
pervious to  sea  water.  It  formed  a  thick  paste,  and  was  used  cold.  It 
was  an  excellent  varnish  for  the  joints  of  square  aquaria. 

Mr.  Hardy  said  he  had  used  liquid  marine  glue,  and  a  great  many  other 
cements,  but  he  found  simple  lard  would  do  almost  as  well  as  anything  else. 
Some  chemical  action  seemed  to  take  place  which  hardened  the  lard. 

Mr.  Karop  exhibited  and  described  a  very  simple  and  ingenious  gauge 
made  by  H.  Hensoldt  for  measuxang  the  thickness  of  cover  glasses.  It  was 
graduated  to  measure  from  0  up  to  -J  mm. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Kitton,  Mr.  Hardy,  and  Mr. 
Karop  for  their  communications. 

The  President  directed  the  attention  of  the  members  to  the  book  contain*, 
ing  the  x-esults  of  the  work  done  at  the  excursions,  and  referred  to  the  list 
of  objects  obtained  on  the  last  two  occasions. 

Announcements  of  excursions  and  meetings  for  the  ensuing  month  were 
then  made,  special  attention  being  called  to  the  whole  day's  excux-sion 
toWhitstable  on  July  5th,  ixx  connectioxx  with  which  a  letter  was  read,  aixd 
members  intending  to  join  were  l'equested  to  give  in  their  names  at  once  to 
Mi\  Parsons.  Members  were  also  reminded  that  the  next  ordinary  meeting, 
on  July  25tb,  would  be  the  annual  meeting. 

The  proceedings  then  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione,  and  the 
following  objects  were  exhibited:  — 

Fredericella  sultana       ...  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Mervnis  nigrescens  ...  ...  ...         ...     Mr.  R.  T.  Lewis. 

Ova  of  Mermis  nigrescens         ...  ...         ...  ,, 

Trichodeies  scalaris         ...         ...         ...  ...     Mr.  T.  S.  Morten. 

Trans,  sect,  of  leaf  of  Cryptomence  japoniea...     Mr.  J.  W.  Reed. 
,,         ,,  „  Cryptomence  elegans   ...  ,, 

Asplanc/ma  Brightwellii  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Trans,  sec.  central  canal  of  spinal  cord  of  Calf     Mr.  F.  Steele. 
Attendance — .Members  48  j  Visitors  2. 


57 


On  a  Hydrostatic  Fine  Adjustment. 

By  E.  M.  Nelson. 

{Read  August  28th,  1884.) 


Ji 


1 


m 


L— 


%flj£jL  ^^^^^^^K^^y^K^^^>^K^M  Wff^ 


|^j^|pSE 


r  i  c    i. 


'wm.^'"' 


/"/  C 


r ,  c    5 


The  growing  increase  in  the  use  of  wide-angled  object-glasses 
calls  for  some  improvement  in  the  fine  adjustment  of  the  micro- 
scope. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  depth  of  focus  is  inversely  propor- 
tional to  the  numerical  aperture,  that  the  microscope  is  now  used  in 
a  far  more  scientific  manner  than  the  rough-and-ready  way  of  former 
days,  and  that  critical  pictures  are  now  the  only  ones  accepted  by 
the  best  workers.  A  vast  improvement  has  taken  place  in  the  con- 
struction of  object-glasses,  but  the  arrangements  for  fine  adjust- 
ment remain  pretty  much  the  same  as  they  were  five-and-twenty 
years  ago.  The  above  diagrams  illustrate  a  method  of  fine  adjust- 
ment which  has  occurred  to  me,  which  I  think  would,  if  adopted, 
effect  an  improvement  in  this  direction. 

Fig.  1  shows  in  section  the  arrangement  as  adapted  for  a  micro* 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  10.  f 


58  E.    M.    NELSON    ON    A    HYDROSTATIC    FINE    ADJUSTMENT. 

scope  with  a  bar  movement,  Fig.  2  as  adapted  for  the  "  Jackson 
Lister  "  form,  and  Fig.  3  as  adapted  for  the  continental  model,  or 
11  student's '  microscope.  In  Fig.  1  there  are  shown  two  iron 
chambers  (a,  a)  connected  together  by  a  transverse  pipe  and  filled 
with  mercury  ;  one  of  these  chambers  is  provided  with  a  plunger 
(b),  the  other  chamber  being  similarly  provided  with  a  ram  (c).  The 
fine  adjustment  screw  is  intended  to  act  on  the  plunger,  and  the 
ram  on  a  stud  carried  by  the  nose-piece  of  the  microscope,  the  stud 
being  pressed  against  the  ram  by  means  of  a  spring. 

In  Fig.  2,  the  plunger  (b)  and  ram  (c)  are  both  fitted  to  one 
chamber  (a),  so  as  to  permit  of  its  being  used  on  the  Jackson 
Lister  model,  and  the  fine  adjustment  screw  may,  in  this  case, 
be  placed  so  as  to  act  on  the  plunger  on  either  side,  or  at  the 
back  of  the  instrument. 

In  Fig.  3,  the  plunger  and  ram  are  fitted  to  opposite  ends  of  the 
chamber  (a),  in  order  to  adapt  the  apparatus  to  the  continental 
model.  The  application  of  the  apparatus  to  this  form  of  micro- 
scope would,  in  my  opinion,  be  especially  useful,  and  would  mate- 
rially increase  its  efficiency,  for,  as  the  fine  adjustment  is  at  present 
constructed,  it  precludes  the  possibility  of  fine  and  accurate  patho- 
logical work  being  done  with  the  instrument. 

As  shown  in  the  Figs.,  the  ram  has  a  sectional  area  four  times 
greater  than  that  of  the  plunger  ;  therefore  the  movements  of  the 
fine  adjustment  screw  would  be  reduced  in  the  proportion  of  one  to 
four  ;  but  it  is  obvious  that,  by  varying  the  relative  diameters  of 
the  plunger  and  the  ram,  the  ratio  may  be  varied  almost  indefi- 
nitely, as,  for  example,  a  plunger  of  1^  inch  and  a  ram  of  ^  inch 
would  give  a  ratio  of  one  to  thirty-six,  so  that  one  turn  of  a 
screw  having  fifty  threads  to  the  inch  would  only  impart  a  move- 
ment of  xgVg-  of  an  inch  to  the  object-glass. 


59 


Q.M.O.  EXCURSIONS. 

June  21st,  1884. 
List  of  Objects  Found  ox  the  Excursion  to  Epping  Forest. 

CONFERVOID  ALGjE. 

ColeochcBte        ...  ...  ...  Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

Rivularia  pisum  ...  ...  Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Spirogyra  quinina         ...  ...  ,,  „ 

Spirulina  oscillavioides  ...  „  ,, 

Volvox  globator,  in  various  stages  Messrs.  Hardy  and  Mainland. 
DESMIDIACEJE. 


Closterium  Acer o sum     . 
,,  lunula 

DIATOMACEsE. 
Pinnularia  nobilis 
„  viridis 

INFUSORIA. 
Amblyopias  viridis 
Amphileptus  fasciola    , 
Anthophysa  Miilleri 
Arcella  dentata 
„      vulgaris 
Astasia  hamiatodes 
Cho?tonotus  larus 
Chilodoti  cucullus 
Dileptus  folium 
Euglena  longicauda 

„       viridis 
Euplotes  vannus 
Peridinium  cinctum 
Stylonichia  lanceolata 

ROTIFERA. 
Anurcea,  sp. 
Brachionis  amphiceros 
Conochilus  volvox 


Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Messrs.  Hard v  and  Mainland. 


y        Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 


60 


ROTIFER  A  (continued). 
Dinocharis  tetractis 
Monocerca  rattus 
Pleurotrocha  gibbet 
Rotifer  vulgaris 
Scaridium  longicaudum.. . 


Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 


The  following  list  was  also  received  from  Mr.  Wortliington  G. 
Smith,  who  was  a  guest  of  the  President : — 

FUNGI. 

Agaricus  rubescens. 
Boletus  aestivalis. 

Reticularia  umbrina.     Enormous  specimen  on  hornbeam. 
Uredo  orchidis.     On  Orchis  metadata. 
„     suaveolens.     On  thistles. 

Sixteen  members  of  the  Club,  with  six  members  of  other 
Societies,  started  in  the  morning  in  accordance  with  the  arrange- 
ments previously  announced,  and  were  conducted  by  Messrs. 
Hardy  and  Powell  through  Epping  Forest  along  the  route  shown 
on  the  map  issued  with  the  circular.  Ten  members  and  eight 
visitors  joined  the  Excursion  in  the  afternoon.  The  day  was  very 
fine,  but,  owing  to  the  long  period  of  dry  weather  which  had  pre- 
vailed, the  ponds  were  not  very  productive. 

After  the  Excursion  45  of  the  members  and  18  visitors  dined 
at  the  Hoyal  Forest  Hotel. 


June  28th,  1884. 

The  Excursion  to  Hampton  Court  was  barren  in  results.  In 
some  years  many  interesting  objects  have  been  found,  but  this  year 
there  appeared  to  be  nothing  of  importance.  No  papers  were 
sent  in,  and  the  attendance  was  small,  consisting  of  six  members 
only  of  the  Q.M.C.  and  two  members  of  the  Hackney  Society. 


61 


July  5th,  1884. 
List  of  Objects  Found  on  the    Excursion    to  Whitstable. 

ALG^E. 

En  teromo  rp  h  a  in  test  in  a  lis 

Hypnea  purpurascens. . . 
INFUSORIA. 

Noctiluca  miliaris 
SPONGIDsE. 

Grantia  ciliata 
„       compressa 

Halichondria,  sp. 
HYDROZOA. 
ACTINOZOA. 

Beroe,  sp.  ...  j 

HYDROID  ZOOPHYTES  (Sertularidjs). 


y      Mr.  J.  Woollett. 


Campanularia,  sp. 
Laomedea  dichotoma 
Plwnularia  setacea 
Sertularia,  sp. 


Tubularia  indivisa     ... 
POLYZOA. 

Flustra  folia  cea 

Serialaria  lendigera  ... 
ECHINODERMA  TA . 

Ophiocoma  rosula 
CRUSTACEA. 

Ammothea  pycnogonidce 


...     Mr.  J.  Woollett. 
...     Mr.  C.  G.  Dunning. 

Messrs.  Woollett  and  Dunning. 
...     Mr.  J.  Woollett. 

(Corynid^e.) 

...     Mr.  C.  G.  Dunning. 

...     Mr.  J.  Woollett. 
...     Mr.  C.  G.  Dunning. 

...     Mr.  J.  Woollett. 


>> 


a 


Ten  members  of  the  Club,  and  one  member  of  the  South 
London  M.  and  N.  H.  Society,  attended  the  Excursion.  The 
weather  was  all  that  could  be  desired.  The  success  of  the  day's 
proceedings  was  chiefly  due  to  the  admirable  arrangements  so 
kindly  made  by  Mr.  Saunders,  of  Whitstable,  to  enable  the  mem- 
bers to  collect,  by  dredging  and  otherwise,  the  many  beautiful  and 
highly  interesting  marine  objects  to  be  found  in  the  locality. 


62 


v      Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 


July  19th,  1884. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the   Excursion    from    Caterham 

to  Godstone. 

CONFER  VJE.  N 

Gonium  tranquillum 

Oscillatoria 
DESMIDIACEsE. 

Closterium  acerosam 

Pediastrum  Boryanum  ... 
DIATOMACE^. 

NavicuJa 

Nitzschia  sigmoidea 

Pleurosigma 

Surirella  bifrons 
INFUSORIA. 

Amblyophis  viridis 

Astasia  limpida 

Euglena  viridis 

Urocentrum  turbo 
ROTIFER  A. 

Pterodina  patina 

Rotifer  vulgaris 
NAIDINA. 

Nais  proboscidea 
MICRO-FUNGI. 

Puccinea  malvacearum  ... 
PHANEROGAMS. 

Atropa  belladonna         ...   Messrs.  Mainland  and  W.  W.  Reeves. 

Carex  paniculata 

Chlora  perfoliata 

Hieraceum    murorum 

Lathyrus  sylvestris 

Ranunculus  arvensis 

Silaus  pratensis 
MISCELLANEO  US. 

Gall  of  Fhytoptus  aceris  on  maple  Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Six  members  of  the  Club  and  five  members  of  the  Croydon  Club 
attended  the  Excursion. 


/ 


Mr.  W.  W.  Reeves. 


J 


63 


August   23rd,  1884. 
List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Walton. 

DESMIDIA  CEJE. 

Various  species         ...     Mr.  J.  Badcock. 
DIATOMACEM. 

Various  species         ...       „  ,, 

INFUSORIA. 

Anthophysa  Mulleri ...       „  „ 

Cothurnia  imberbis     ...     Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

Epistylis  grandis       ...     Mr.  J.  Badcock. 

Stentors,  various  species    Messrs.  Parsons  and  Badcock. 

Spongilla  fluviatilis   ...     Messrs.  Nevins,  Parsons,  and  Badcock. 

Vaginicola  crystallina       Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 

Zoothamniam,  sp.        ...  „  ,, 

ROTIFERA. 

Lacinularia  socialis  ...     Messrs.  Nevins,  Parsons,  and  Badcock. 

Limnias  ceratophylli . . . 

Melicerta  ringens 

Stephanoceros  Eichhornii  Messrs.  Nevins  and  Badcock. 
POLYZOA. 

Messrs.  Parsons  and  Badcock. 

Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

Messrs.  Nevins,  Parsons,  and  Badcock. 


}>  ))  >>  )>  yj 

Messrs.  Parsons  and  Badcock. 


Alcyojiella,  sp. 

,,         stagnorvm 


>>  >)  >>  j>  yy 

Messrs.  Parsons  and  Badcock. 
Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

Mr.  J.  Badcock. 

Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 


Cristatella  macedo    .. 

Fredericella  sultana  .. 

Plumatella  sp. 

„  repens     .. 

HYDROZOA. 

Hydra  vulgaris 
MOLLUSC  A. 

Physa  fontina  lis 
PHANEROGAMS. 

Ceratophyllumdemersum    Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

Villarsia  nymphaoides  „  „ 

This  excursion  was  attended  by  only  four  members  of  the  Club. 

Mr.  Badcock  made  a  trip  to  Walton  on  the  following  Saturday  in 

company  with  Mr.  Parsons,  and  the  list  of  objects  found  by  him 

is  given  above. 

Fredk.  A.  Parsons, 

Hon.  Sec.  Excursions  Sub-Committee. 


64 


THE     PRESIDENT'S     ADDRESS. 
Delivered  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting,  25th  July,  1884. 

By  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  LL.D.,   A.L.S.,  &c. 

Gentlemen, — On  a  similar  occasion  to  the  present,  I  took  the 
opportunity  last  year  of  suggesting  a  subject  for  reflection  and 
consideration,  which  seemed  to  me  calculated  to  impart  an  interest 
to  your  holiday  hours.  On  the  present  anniversary,  I  purpose,  for 
a  very  short  time,  offering  a  few  words  of  warning,  which  originate 
in  a  sense  of  duty,  as  I  vacate  your  chair.  A  week  or  two  since, 
whilst  pondering  a  subject,  I  was  skimming  over  one  of  those 
small  volumes  provided  for  railway  travellers,  which  are  presumed 
to  furnish  amusement  rather  than  instruction,  and  encountered  the 
following  short  paragraph  : — 

"  The  besetting  sin  of  popular  authors  is  the  intense.  I  mean 
intensity  of  epithet — the  strongest  expression  is  generally  the 
briefest  and  barest.  Take  the  old  ballads  of  any  people,  and  you 
will  find  few  adjectives.  The  singer  says,  'He  laughed;  she 
wept.'  Perhaps  the  poet  of  a  more  civilized  age  might  say,  '  He 
laughed  in  scorn ;  she  turned  away,  and  shed  tears  of  disappoint- 
ment.' But  nowadays  the  ambitious  young  writer  must  produce 
something  like  this,  '  A  hard,  fiendish  laugh,  scornful  and  pitiless, 
forced  its  passage  from  his  throat  through  the  lips  that  curled  in 
mockery  of  her  appeal  ;  she  covered  her  despairing  face,  and  a 
gust  and  whirlwind  of  sorrowing  agony  burst  forth  in  her  irresis- 
tible tears.' "  * 

Naturally  enough,  as  I  thought,  this  little  quotation  sent  me 
into  a  dream  of  intensities,  and  exaggerations,  and  sensationalism 
which  seems  to  pervade  everything  in  these  latter  days,  politics, 
religion,  science,  art,  business,  and  even  common  conversation. 
Manifest  exaggeration,  such  as  led  Mark  Twain  to  write  his  essay 
on  "  Decay  in  the  Art  of  Lying,"  and  to  say,  "  Of  course  there  are 
people  who  think  they  never  lie  ;    but  it  is  not  so — and  this  igno- 

*  "  Echo  Club  Diversions,"  p.  61. 


THE    PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS.  65 

ranee  is  one  of  the  very  things  that  shame  our  so-called  civilization. 
Everybody  lies — every  day,  every  hour,  awake,  asleep,  in  his 
dreams,  in  his  joy,  in  his  mourning  ;  if  he  keeps  his  tongue  still, 
his  hands,  his  feet,  his  eyes,  his  attitude,  will  convey  deception — 
and  purposely.     Even  in  sermons — but  that  is  a  platitude." 

Half  an  hour's  reflection  will  convince  anyone  that,  in  the  main, 
this  is  a  correct  estimate  of  what  results  from  the  "  intensity  of 
epithet,"  the  "  exaggeration  with  a  purpose,"  that  appears  to  be  a 
marked  proclivity  of  the  age.  There  are  times  and  occasions  when 
even  this  general  tendency  to  exaggeration  in  some  men,  or  bodies 
of  men,  goes  beyond  the  ordinary  standard,  and  then  we  recognise 
phenomena  but  little  removed  from  insanity,  psychological  diver- 
gences from  the  standard  of  a  sound  mind.  Many  of  these  obli- 
quities originate  from  a  small  basis  of  fact,  but  the  fact  is  soon 
lost  in  the  distortion,  like  the  true  proportions  of  a  human  face 
gazed  at  in  a  concave  mirror.  We  are  not  concerned  with  revi- 
valism, spirit-rapping,  table-turning,  millenianism,  quaking,  shak- 
ing, or  jumping,  or  any  form  of  religious  fanaticism,  as  it  is  termed, 
but  which  is  really  nothing  more  than  exaggeration  culminating 
in  sensationalism.  Yet,  after  all,  the  process  is  the  same,  and  the 
results  the  same,  whatever  the  subject  of  the  hallucination  may  be. 

Those  who,  like  ourselves,  have  been  able  from  experience  to 
compare  these  periodical  outbursts  during  half  a  century  must  be 
well  satisfied  that  the  mental  phenomena  are  identical.  It  matters 
not  what  the  special  subject,  there  is  a  decided  and  marked  identity 
in  the  restlessness,  fanaticism,  dogmatism,  energy,  excitement, 
recklessness,  and  consequent  suspension,  or  rather  distortion, 
of  healthy  mental  action. 

The  oldest  of  these  waves,  or  currents,  of  popular  idiosyncrasy 
were  religious  ;  the  most  modern  are  scientific  or  artistic. 

People  have  sometimes  called  them  a  "  craze,"  and  they  have 
not  been  far  wrong.  It  was  the  "  aesthetic  craze  "  but  a  short 
time  since,  and  not  long  ago  it  was  the  "  Darwinian  craze." 
Although  this  did  not  apply,  in  any  sense,  to  Darwin,  who  kept 
himself  wholly  clear  of  exaggeration  and  sensationalism,  yet 
hosts  of  those  who  called  themselves  his  disciples  rushed  without 
sense  or  reason  into  extremes  which  he  repudiated,  and  made  use 
of  his  name  as  an  apology  for  their  fanaticism. 

Who  does  not  remember  the  activity  and  intolerance  of  the 
followers    of   Pouchet,    before  their  last    hopes    were   shattered, 


66  the  president's  address. 

together  with  the  monstrous  extravagances  into  which  some  of 
them  were  seduced,  perhaps  at  first  insensibly,  for  the  sake  of 
argument,  or  in  hopes  of  victory  ? 

The  animal  nature  of  the  Myxogasters  was  a  short-lived  halluci- 
nation which  never  attained  any  considerable  strength,  but  the 
same  cannot  be  said  of  the  dual-Lichen  hypothesis,  which  is  so 
tenacious  of  life  that  it  still  retains  a  semblance  of  vitality.  In  all 
these  instances,  and  many  more  which  may  be  cited,  the  same 
elements  are  to  be  found — there  is  the  same  history,  and  will  be 
the  same  final  collapse.  It  is  noteworthy  that  most  of  these 
11  hallucinations  " — for  it  is  difficult  to  give  them  any  other  equally 
suitable  name — start  with  an  old  prejudice,  or  a  superstition,  or  a 
u  popular  belief,"  something  which  gives  plausibility  to  the 
assumption.  Then  follows  a  search  after  analogies,  and  proba- 
bilities, and  the  construction  of  an  hypothesis.  Subsequently 
comes  the  era  of  experiments,  often  slovenly  performed,  but 
studiously  without  any  exposure  of  the  methods.  When  these 
latter  become  known,  as  in  the  case  of  Pouchet,  their  inefficiency 
is  readily  demonstrated.  These  experiments,  being  conducted  with 
the  view  of  proving  a  preconceived  hypothesis,  naturally  enough 
furnish  the  required  proof.  It  would  be  very  strange  if  it  were 
otherwise.  We  all  know,  with  the  microscope,  how  very  easy  it 
is  to  believe  that  you  see  just  what  you  wish  to  see.  And,  finally, 
comes  the  agitation,  the  appeal  to  the  "  enlightened  public," 
magazine  articles,  public  lectures,  newspaper  paragraphs,  and  all 
the  orthodox  paraphernalia  of  a  political  campaign.  Partisans 
are  speedily  made — for  no  theory  was  ever  conceived  that  was  too 
absurd  to  secure  converts — and  one  by  one  new  advocates  appear, 
here  and  there  a  journal  takes  up  the  cause,  provided  its  director 
has  a  notion  that  it  will  succeed,  or  pay,  and  the  bubble  glitters 
and  sparkles  awhile  in  the  bright  sunshine,  until  at  length  it  shares 
the  fate  of  all  its  kindred,  leaving  nothing  behind  but  a  dirty  spot, 
and  a  bill  for  soap. 

There  would  not  be  so  much  to  regret  in  these  manifestations,  in 
most  cases  dictated  by  personal  vanity,  if  they  did  not  impose  un- 
welcome labour  on  those  who,  whilst  able  to  estimate  such  ebul- 
litions at  their  true  value,  are  nevertheless  compelled  to  protest 
against  them  as  exaggerations  and  distortions  of  the  truth,  lest  by 
silence  they  are  supposed  to  assent.  Undoubtedly,  in  very  many 
cases,  if  not  in  most,  the  agents  are  sincere  enough,  but  having 


THE    PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS.  67 

deceived  themselves,  adopted  a  prejudice,  suffered  their  judgment 
to  become  absolutely  a  slave  to  their  hypothesis,  they  are  rather  to 
be  pitied,  in  that  they  have  become  mentally  blind,  than  blamed 
for  leading  others  astray  to  fall  into  the  same  ditch. 

How  much  of  this  unhealthy  development  is  to  be  traced  to  the 
restlessness  of  the  age,  the  craving  after  excitement,  and  a  grow- 
ing habit  of  exaggeration,  I  am  content  to  leave  to  individual 
opinion.  For  my  own  part,  I  think  such  causes  at  least  contribu- 
tory to  the  class  of  phenomena  alluded  to. 

Plain,  straightforward  investigation  is  safe  enough  and  sure 
enough,  there  is  no  temptation  to  exaggerate.  Facts  are 
observed  and  recorded  just  as  they  occur;  it  matters  little,  if  any- 
thing, to  the  observer,  so  long  as  they  are  true,  what  they  may  be 
supposed  to  prove  or  support,  or  overthrow,  so  long  as  he  has  no 
preconceived  theory  to  work  out,  or  controvert.  But  on  the  other 
hand,  when  a  person  sits  down  to  his  microscope,  or  his  dissecting- 
table,  absorbed  with  the  one  idea  that  some  dream  has  to  be 
realized,  that  all  his  facts  are  to  be  ranged  in  support  of  some 
hypothesis,  or  failing  to  do  this,  that  they  are  to  be  buried  in 
oblivion,  then,  unconsciously,  he  is  no  longer  the  patient 
observer,  no  longer  the  searcher  after  truth,  but  the  partisan, 
restlessly,  incessantly,  fanatically,  hunting  up  support  for  his  own 
hypothesis  with  one  eye  blinded.  Whether  he  starts  with  this 
idea  or  not,  he  soon  falls  into  it,  and,  as  I  believe  most  strongly, 
damages  himself  more  than  he  does  good  to  any  cause,  however 
excellent  that  cause  may  be. 

It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  theories  have  been  beneficial,  and 
will  be  again,  in  the  search  after  truth.  An  hypothesis  is  not  to 
be  condemned  because  it  is  an  hypothesis,  so  long  as  it  is  rated  as 
an  hypothesis.  The  danger  lies  in  being  led  away  and  made 
captive  by  an  hypothesis,  to  be  so  absorbed  by  it,  and  work  at  it  day 
by  day,  until  it  becomes  a  kind  of  incipient  insanity,  or,  if  you 
please,  the  mind  is  strained  and  distorted  in  a  particular  direction 
until  it  can  no  longer  be  called  a  sound  and  well-balanced  mind. 
Any  psychologist  would  find  a  ready  phrase  to  characterise  such  a 
condition, 

Some  of  the  reasons  why  I  would  beg  of  you — especially  young 
men  in  search  of  mental  occupation — not  to  be  seduced  into 
becoming  theorists,  in  its  modern  application,  shall  be  placed 
before  you  : — 


68  the  president's  address. 

I.  Because  it  lias  a  very  strong  tendency  to  warp  your  judg- 
ment; your  inclinations  leaning  ever  in  the  direction  of  the  theory 
all  that  supports  it  receive  exaggeration,  and  all  that  militates 
against  it  is  apologised  for,  or  sophistically  explained  away. 

II.  Because  it  depreciates  all  your  work  within  the  circle  of  the 
theory.  Record  never  so  many  investigations,  vouch  for  ever  so 
many  facts,  and  your  reward  will  be  to  see  them  received  with 
doubt,  or  suspicion,  not  because  you  are  naturally  untrustworthy, 
but  because  you  are  a  prejudiced  witness.  Need  anyone  be 
reminded  of  the  broad  difference  of  result  that  is  produced  in  men's 
minds  by  the  evidence  of  an  independent  witness,  and  the  evidence 
of  a  friend  of  the  culprit  ? 

III.  Because  it  converts  one  who  should  be  sound  in  judgment, 
unfettered  by  antecedents,  unbiassed  by  what  may  follow,  into  a 
mere  partisan,  deaf  to  all  that  may  be  urged  on  the  contrary,  not 
because  it  is  true  or  false,  but  simply  because  it  affects  his  side  of 
the  question.  In  season,  and  out  of  season,  advocating  the  party 
side,  ever  and  anon  seeking  to  make  converts  to  his  own  views, 
not  being  content  to  permit  truth  to  work  its  own  way,  but,  above 
all,  anxious  that  his  interpretation  of  the  truth,  and  that  alone, 
shall  prevail,  and  all  who  dissent  shall  be  branded  as  heretics. 

IV.  Because  it  leads  to  dishonesty.  This  is  an  almost  inevit- 
able associate  of  partisanship.  A  little  gloss  is  put  upon  all 
that  favours  one's  own  side,  a  little  exaggeration,  even  when  least 
intended,  gives  a  tone  to  the  views  we  hold.  Opposite  opinions 
are  never  quoted  at  all,  or  with  corresponding  exaggeration.  The 
partisan  may  attempt  to  be  honest,  may  flatter  himself  that  he 
really  is  honest,  and  yet  never  does  justice  to  his  opponent,  because 
he  lacks  the  feeling  and  sympathy  of  the  opposition.  Hence  the 
best  of  partisans  are  unconsciously,  and  the  worst  of  them 
habitually,  dishonest. 

V.  Because  it  favours  intolerance,  bigotry,  and  all  uncharit- 
ableness.  Being  satisfied  themselves  that  they  are  the  only 
depositaries  of  the  truth,  they  utterly  contemn  those  who  fail  to 
appreciate  their  conclusions.  Such  unfortunates  are  looked  upon 
as  inferior  animals,  only  partially  gifted  with  the  faculty  of  reason, 
and  no  opportunity  is  allowed  to  slip  of  bestowing  upon  them  a 
fraternal  sneer. 

VI.  Because  it  is  prejudicial  to  friendship.  No  one  would  con- 
tend that  personal  friendships  can  survive  an  aggressive  conflict  of 


the  President's  address.  69 

opinion  such  as  that  fostered  by  the  average  theorist.  One  who 
has  taken  up  an  hypothesis  as  an  article  of  faith,  and  prosecutes  it 
with  all  the  zeal  of  a  political  creed,  would  either  make  a  proselyte, 
or  sacrifice  a  friend.  As  community  of  feeling,  taste,  and  pursuits 
all  serve  to  cement  friendship,  so  will  their  opposites  speedily  dis- 
solve the  bond. 

VII.,  and  lastly — to  come  back  to  the  topic  which  has  been 
before  us — because  it  leads  to  exaggeration,  and  especially  lends 
itself  to  it  at  a  period  when  exaggeration  is  the  fashion  of  the  age. 
It  is  no  answer  to  say  that  a  sound  hypothesis  does  not  need  to 
support  itself  by  exaggeration  ;  it  is  sufficient  to  show,  that,  apart 
from  all  inducements  towards  wilful  exaggeration,  there  is  a 
natural  tendency  to  suppression  on  the  one  hand,  and  undue 
extenuation  on  the  other.  Where  the  fundamental  facts  are  not 
universally  known,  and,  indeed,  can  only  be  known  by  experience 
to  a  few,  there  is  a  continual  temptation  in  the  direction  of 
exaggeration,  on  the  principle  that  the  end  will  justify  the  means, 
and  that  a  polemic  victory,  will  cover  a  multitude  of  sins.  One 
has  only  to  turn  to  any  of  the  records  of  recent  controverted 
hypotheses,  and  exercise  the  judgment  of  an  "  outsider''  to  obtain 
abundant  evidence  that  exaggeration  is  resorted  to,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  and  unblushingly,  as  if  it  were  a  virtue.  Something  of 
this  may  be  due  to  the  "  fashion,"  and  therefore  impresses  more 
forcibly  those  who  can  compare  it  with  the  past,  than  it  does 
those  younger  men  who  have  grown  with  the  fashion.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  those  who  are  not  drawn  into  the 
whirlpool  of  these  extravagant  hypotheses  are  chiefly  men  of  ripe 
years,  who  contemplate  with  surprise  the  large  amount  of  noise 
that  proceeds  from  very  shallow  streams. 

Perhaps  I  shall  be  met  with  the  remark  that  all  these  seven 
reasons  are  exaggerations,  insomuch  as  they  exaggerate  the 
dangers  of  adopting  an  hypothesis,  pure  and  simple,  whereas  I 
have  in  view  only  hypothetical  propagandism,  the  dangers  of  which 
it  would  be  difficult  to  exaggerate. 

These  reasons  are  given  as  the  result,  not  of  mere  speculation, 
but  as  forced  upon  me  by  experience.  Several  times  it  has  been 
my  ill-fortune  to  oppose  hypotheses,  and  this  I  have  always  done 
with  regret.  It  is  not  in  human  nature  to  suffer  in  patience  when 
vanity  is  rebuked.  Your  "  candid  friend  "  is  not  the  most  agree- 
able  companion.     He  who  would  oppose  those  who  have  espoused 


70  THE    PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS. 

an  hypothesis  must  expect  to  be  regarded  as  a  "  candid  friend," 
often  too  candid  for  continued  friendship. 

Controversies  vary  with  the  character  of  the  controversialists,  but 
the  end  of  all,  for  both  sides,  is  nothing  but  "  vanity  and  vexation 
of  spirit."  Nothing  exposes  some  of  the  weak  points  in  humanity 
more  effectually  than  controversy.  The  old  adage  "  in  vino 
Veritas ,:  finds  its  analogue  here.  The  man  who  "  speaks  his 
mind  "by  the  inspiration  of  the  bottle  is  at  one  with  him  who 
"  speaks  his  mind  "  in  the  warmth  of  a  polemical  contest.  There- 
fore beware  of  controversy,  if  you  would  not  be  betrayed  into 
exaggeration,  or  misrepresentation. 

It  is  easy  to  furnish  examples  of  the  process  of  "  intensifica- 
tion ''  through  which  simple  facts  are  made  to  pass  in  their  pas- 
sage to  sensationalism.  Recently  a  correspondent  to  a  weekly 
paper,  with  some  ambition  to  be  considered  a  scientific  journal, 
thus  expresses  himself  when  writing  on  the  potato  disease  :  "lam 
in  a  position  to  speak  confidently  upon  this  point,  for  the  very  good 
reason  that  for  many  years  past  I  have  been  in  the  habit  of  every 
day  cutting  sections  of  one  or  more  tubers,  and  I  have  never  once 
found  a  potato  diseased  by  Peronospora  in  the  centre,  when  its 
exterior  did  not  show  traces  of  infection.  Many  years  is  an 
indefinite  period,  but  these  observations  have  been  continuously 
carried  on  by  me  for  the  past  thirty  years — rarely  have  I  missed  a 
day.  As  a  rule  more  than  one  potato  has  been  sliced  by  me,  so  that 
10,950  tubers  were  examined,  not  one  of  which  has  shown  the  centre 
diseased  by  Peronospora,  while  the  exterior  remained  sound.  I 
admit  these  tubers  had  been  subjected  to  a  temperature  of  212°  F. 
before  I  sliced  them,  yet  it  requires  a  higher  temperature  than 
212°  F.  to  obliterate  all  traces  of  the  disease.  Before  I  sliced 
these  10,950  tubers  each  one  had  been  washed,  and  in  most  of 
them  the  epidermis  had  been  removed,"  &c* 

Now,  what  are  the  plain  facts  thus  set  forth  so  grandilo- 
quently ?  Simply  these — that  the  writer  was  thirty  years  old, 
and  had  potatoes  cooked  for  dinner  every  day,  and  therefore  had 
experimented  on  10,950  potatoes  to  ascertain  whether  they  were 
diseased  or  not.  As  to  experimenting  with  scientific  purpose,  of 
course  he  had  done  nothing  of  the  kind.  Now,  this  is  a  fair 
example  of  exaggeration  in  scientific  matters,  and,  it  must  be  said, 
of    wilful   misrepresentation    for    sensational    purposes.       What 

*  "  Gardeners'  Chronicle,"  March  15,  1884,  p.  349. 


THE    PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS 


71 


reliance  can  possibly  be  placed  on  the  evidence  adduced  by  such 
an  authority,  and  yet  he  has  claimed  to  have  demonstrated 
scientific  facts  by  experiment — solely  on  the  faith  of  his  own  word 
—  on  which  evidence  he  seeks  to  establish  a  controverted 
hypothesis. 

In  this  example  there  is  the  basis  of  fact — or  assumed  fact — 
seeing  potatoes  on  the  table  after  being  peeled,  and  cooked,  for  30 
years.  Then  this  fact  is  distorted  and  exaggerated  by  being  made 
to  appear  that  which  it  was  not,  viz.,  a  deliberate  scientific  experi- 
ment, made  daily  for  a  set  purpose.  Finally,  this  "  intensified'1 
narrative,  which  we  have  characterized  as  exaggeration,  is 
deliberately  published  in  a  controversy,  in  a  sensational  manner,  as 
scientific  evidence. 

I  think,  when  such  things  are  done,  it  is  not  a  moment  too 
early  to  warn  you  against  sensationalism  in  science,  to  put  you  on 
your  guard  against  that  "paltering  in  a  double  sense ':  to  which 
some  are  tempted  to  backslide,  in  order  to  achieve  a  paltry 
polemical  victory,  instead  of  being:  content  to  establish  the  truth, 
for  the  sake  of  truth,  and  that  alone. 

May  I  not  suggest,  without  offence,  that  the  tendencies  towards 
exaggeration  are  very  manifest  in  many  directions,  whereas  yet 
they  only  exhibit  promonitory  symptoms? 

Can  we  really  say  that  there  is  no  danger  with  the  Bacilli?  Is 
it  not  possible  to  take  too  much  for  granted,  and  exaggerate  the 
relations  of  these  minutest  of  organisms  with  zymotic  disease  ?  Is 
it  not  well  to  be  particularly  guarded  in  such  cases  lest  zeal  should 
outrun  discretion  ?  The  danger  is  all  the  greater  since  the  subject 
would  accommodate  itself  so  readily  to  sensationalism. 

Foreign  as  the  subject  may  be  to  our  own  pursuits,  it  may, 
nevertheless,  be  alluded  to  in  illustration.  Are  we  not  in  great 
danger  of  exaggeration  in  the  direction  of  popular  education  ? 
Not  the  less  so  because  it  has  a  sentimental  side,  and  may  be 
made  to  conform  to  sensationalism. 

I  think  I  am  justified  in  saying  that  we  should  be  cautious  lest 
we  exaggerate  too  much  our  instrument  and  its  powers.  If  we 
fancy  that  the  microscope  is  to  do  everything  for  us,  without  the 
exercise  of  application  and  judgment,  and  sound  discretion,  we  shall 
exaggerate  to  our  own  final  discomfort. 

If  we  rely  too  confidently  on  what  we  suppose  that  we  see,  under 
high  powers,  without  concerning  ourselves  with  verifying  it  in  all 


72  the  President's  address. 

possible  ways,  then  we  may  be  clinging  to  fallacies  by  which  we 
deceive  ourselves,  and,  in  the  end,  blame  the  instrument  for  our 
own  exaggerations. 

If  we  do  not  take  into  account  the  many  ways  in  which  we  are 
liable  to  err,  through  a  disregard  of  recent  discoveries,  especially 
in  the  direction  of  defective  vision,  we  shall  be  in  constant  danger 
of  repeating  and  perpetuating  exploded  errors,  and  originating  new 
ones,  which  are  in  themselves  neither  more  nor  less  than  practical 
exaggerations  of  our  own  ignorance. 

In  fine,  in  proportion  as  we  magnify  objects  are  we  in  danger 
of  magnifying  false  impressions,  unless  we  give  some  little  attention 
to  those  very  "  brass  and  glass  "  questions  which  some  of  us  affect 
to  despise. 

Having  satisfied  yourself,  from  its  manifestations,  such  as  I  have 
indicated,  that  any  given  subject  has  passed  from  the  calm  region 
of  judicial  enquiry,  into  the  excited  arena  of  public  disquisition,  is 
being  exalted  into  an  article  of  orthodox  faith,  in  which  "  whoever 
believeth  shall  be  saved,  and  whoever  doubteth  is  damned,"  rely 
upon  it,  that  no  other  course  is  left  to  you  but  to  exercise  to  the 
fullest  extent  your  privilege  of  independent  judgment,  and  to 
insist  that  it  shall  be  stripped  bare  of  all  exaggerations,  of  all 
external  sophistry,  that  is  gathered  about  it  in  order  to  conceal  its 
barrenness,  and  confound  its  true  issues.  Coolly,  without  prejudice, 
to  examine  all  the  alleged  facts  thoroughly  and  exhaustively,  com- 
paring these  with  your  own  experiences,  and  the  acknowledged  data 
which  the  experience  of  others  has  determined.  All  the  cobwebs 
of  supposition,  and  probability,  and  assumption  without  authority, 
must  be  swept  away  ;  and  upon  authenticated  legitimate  fact,  and 
upon  the  hard  facts  alone,  must  your  judgment  be  based.  The 
very  circumstance  of  exaggeration  entering  into  the  advocacy  of 
any  hypothesis  is  sufficient  to  invest  it  with  suspicion.  Dogmatic 
assumption  and  persistent  self-assertion  is  no  less  suggestive  of  an 
unsound  basis.  More  than  all,  the  incessant  appeal  "to  the 
stump,"  to  popular  prejudice,  and  the  "  intelligent  public  "  to 
determine  a  question  which  depends  upon  the  exercise  of  well-dis- 
ciplined observation,  and  the  calm  judgment  of  experienced  investi- 
gators, is  akin  to  an  appeal  on  points  of  law,  from  the  assembled 
Judges  in  the  High  Court  of  Justice,  to  the  old  fishwomen  of 
Billingsgate.  It  is  simply  impossible  to  place  reliance  upon  such 
an  appeal.  The  translation  of  scientific  terminology  into  the  vulgar 


THE  PRESIDENT'S  ADDRESS.  73 

dialect  loses  in  accuracy,  in  proportion  as  it  is  diluted,  everything 
opposing  the  hypothesis  is  studiously  suppressed,  or  misrepresented, 
it  may  not  be  intentionally,  but  inevitably  ;  exaggeration  supplies 
the  deficiency,  and  the  climax  is  "sensationalism  versus  science."  It 
is  no  longer  the  simple  truth  which  is  sought,  or  such  an  audience 
would  not  be  appealed  to,  but  simply  the  paltry  gratification  of  a 
polemic  victory.  Once  carry  a  disputed  subject  out  of  the  circle  in 
which  it  could  be  intelligibly  discussed,  and  investigated,  into  a 
new  circle,  in  which  prejudice  takes  the  place  of  knowledge,  and  it 
is  condemned  at  once,  by  all  sensible  men,  as  a  failure  in  search  of 
compensation  for  disappointed  vanity. 

Fragmentary  and  imperfect  as  these  observations  may  be, 
written  hurriedly  under  the  pressure  of  numerous  engagements, 
they  will,  perhaps,  serve  as  a  caution  to  some  of  our  younger  mem- 
bers, and  at  least  convince  them  that  an  old  microscopist  of  forty 
years'  experience  believes  it  to  be  his  duty  to  warn  them  of  one  of 
the  vices  of  the  age,  and  to  put  them  on  their  guard  against  exag- 
geration. 


Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  10.  a 


74 


REPORT  OF  THE  COMMITTEE. 
July  25th,  1884. 

Your  Committee,  in  presenting  the  Nineteenth  Annual  Report, 
are  able  to  record  the  continued  prosperity  and  activity  of  the  Club 
during  the  past  year. 

Our  losses  by  death  have  been  five,  viz. — Mr.  Chantrell,  Mr. 
Davey,  Mr.  Dixon,  Mr.  Hugh  Powell,  and  Mr.  Watson.  Mr.  Powell 
was  not  often  seen  at  the  Club,  but  was  one  of  its  earlier  members, 
and  was  universally  known  as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  the  modern 
microscope  in  this  country.  There  have  been  fourteen  resigna- 
tions, seventy-four  struck  off  the  list  for  non-payment  of  subscrip- 
tions, and  thirty-three  new  members  have  been  elected  ;  although 
the  total  number  of  members  is,  therefore,  somewhat  reduced, 
the  practical  working  strength  of  the  Club  remains  about  the 
same. 

Appended  is  a  list  of  the  more  important  communications  made 
at  our  meetings  and  printed  in  the  Journal : — 

1883. 
Aug.  24.     "  On  Circumnutation  in  Fungi,"  by  the  President. 
Oct.  26.      "  On  an  Apparatus  for  Aerating  Fish  under  observation 

with  the  Microscope,"  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Stokes. 
Dec.  28.     "  On  the  so-called  *  Lungs  '   of  the   Spider,"  by  Mr.  A. 

D.  Michael. 
Jan.   25.     "  On  the   Structure  and   Modes  of  Growth  of  Nostoc 

Commune,"  by  the  President. 
1884. 
Feb.  22.     "  On  the  Floridese  and  some  newly-found  Antheridise," 

by  Mr.  BurYham. 
Mar.  28.     "  On    Parasitic    Vegetable    Organisms    in    Calcareous 

Particles  of  the  Gabbard  and  other  Sands,"  by  Mr. 

J.  G.  Waller. 
May  23.     "  On  the  Hexactinellida?,"  by  Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 
June  27.    "  On  Mermis  Nigrescens,"  by  Mr.  R.  T.  Lewis. 


REPORT    OF    THE    COMMITTEE.  75 

Besides  the  above  there  have  been  numerous  interesting  descrip- 
tions of  objects,  apparatus,  and  methods  useful  to  the  members 
generally,  as  well  as  to  those  pursuing  special  studies.  But,  not- 
withstanding all  this  shows  that  there  is  a  large  amount  of  activity 
in  the  Club,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  more  members  will  endeavour 
to  place  the  results  of  their  investigations  before  the  meetings  in 
the  shape  of  papers. 

Six  demonstrations  on  Microscopical  Technology  were  given 
during  the  year  on  the  Conversational  Evenings,  and,  as  before, 
were  eminently  successful.  Being  the  outcome  of  individual  ex- 
perience practically  illustrated,  and  therefore  useful  to  all  classes 
of  microscopical  students,  they  will  in  future  be  considered  as  fix- 
tures, and  as  affording  further  evidence  of  the  utility  of  the  Club 
to  working  microscopists. 

The  last  of  the  series,  "  On  Staining  Vegetable  Tissues,"  was  to 
have  been  given  by  Mr  W.  H.  Gilburt,  but  he  was  unfortunately 
unable  to  carry  out  his  intentions  on  account  of  continued  ill- 
health.  His  place,  however,  was  very  kindly  and  ably  taken,  at 
rather  short  notice,  by  Mr.  W.  D.  Smith,  and  his  demonstration 
on  the  same  subject  was  certainly  not  the  least  practical  and  suc- 
cessful of  the  series. 

Reports  of  these  Demonstrations,  of  which  the  following  is  a 
list,  will  be  found  in  the  Journal  : — 

1883. 
Dec.  14.     "  On  Cutting  Sections  of   Hard  Tissues,"  by  Mr.   T.  C. 

White,  M.R.C.S.,  L.D.S. 
1884. 
Jan.  11.     "  On   Microscopical  Drawing,"  by    Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy, 

F.R.M.S. 
Feb.  8.       "  On  The  Sponge -skeleton  as  a  means  of  Recognising 

Genera  and  Species,"  by  Mr.  J.  G.  Waller. 
Mar.  14.     "  How  to  Work  with  the  Microscope,"  by  Mr.  E.  M. 

Nelson. 
May  9.       "  On  Polarised  Light,"  by  Mr.  C.  Stewart,  M.R.C.S., 

F.L.S. 
June  13.     "On  Staining  Vegetable  Tissues,"  by  Mr.W.  D.  Smith. 
The  remainder  (£40)  of  the  munificent  donation  to  the  Club  by 
Mr.  Frank  Crisp,  has  been,  with  his  approval,  laid  out  in  the  pur* 
chase  of  indispensable  works  of  reference  for  the  Library. 


76 


REPORT    OF    THE    COMMITTEE. 


The  following  is  a  list  of  the  books  acquired  by  the  Club  either 

by  donation,  purchase,  or  exchange  : — 

Presented  by 
"  Quatrefage's  Metamorphoses  of  Man,"  &c...     Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke. 
"  Steenstrup's  Alternation  of  Generations"  ... 
"  Bibliotheca  Zoologica" 
"  Bibliotheca  Entomologica,  "  Vol.  1  ... 
"  Strasburger's  Zellbildung  und  Zelltheilung  " 
"  J.  Badcock's  Vignettes  from  Invisible  Life  " 


» 


>» 


>> 


"  McNab's  Outlines  of  Botany" 
"  Notcutt's  Handbook  of  the  Microscope  and  ~i 
Microscopic  Objects "  ...  ...  J 

"Trimen  and  Dyer's  Flora  of  Middlesex 
'•Transactions  of  the  Linnean  Society" 

„  „  „  2  vols. 

"  Journal  of  the  Linnean  Society,"  12  vols.   ... 

"  Prof.  Lindberg  on  Mosses  "     ... 

"  Dr.  Braithwaite's  British  Moss-Flora,"  Part  7 

(i  Proceedings  of  the  Koyal   Society"... 

"  Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society  " 

"  Smithsonian  Institution  Report  for  1881  "... 

"  Hardwicke's  Science  Gossip" 

"  Science  Monthly  " 

"G.  B.  Buckton's  British   Aphides,"  Vol.  4  j 

"  A.  D.  Michael's  British  Oribatida3,"  Vol.  1  J 

"  American  Naturalist ".. . 

"American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal"... 

11  Challenger  Reports,"  Vols.  7-8 

"  Gosse's  Devonshire  Coast  "    ... 

"  Gosse's  Tenby  "... 

"  Gosse's  Aquarium  " 

"  Gosse's  Year  at  the  Shore"  ... 

"  Siebold's  Comparative  Anatomy  " 

"  Johnston's  British  Sponges  "... 

"  Johnston's  Catalogue  of  Worms''     

"  Hassall's  Fresh  Water  Alga3  "  

"  Testacea  Microscopica  " 

"  Pennetier's  L'Origine  de  la  Vie  " 

"  Vestiges  of  the   Natural  History  of  Crea. 

tion,"  6th  Edition     ... 
'  Stein's  Infusoria,"  Part  3 
"  Transactions  of  the  Tyneside   Naturalists' 

Field  Club,"  6  vols.  ... 
"Transactions  of  the  Northumberland  and 
Durham  Natural  Histoi'y  Society,"  6  vols 
"  Klein's  Elements  of  Histology" 


} 
} 


)> 

»» 

M 

»» 

>> 

>t 

Mr.  W, 

,  H.  Gilburt. 

The  Author. 

The  Publishers. 

Mr.  T. 

C.  White. 

Mr.  F. 

Crisp. 

»> 

>> 

'> 

» 

Mr  W. 

J.  Scofield. 

>j 

>> 

The  Author. 

The  Society. 

U.S.  Government. 
The  Publishers. 


)> 


Subscription  to  Ray 

Society. 
In  Exchange. 

Purchased. 


>> 


>» 


REPORT    OF    THE    COMMITTEE.  77 

"  Rutley's  Study  of  Rocks  " Purchased. 

"  Prantl's  Elementary  Text  Eook  of  Botany  " 
"  Quarterly  Journal  of  Microscopical  Science" 
"  Annals  of  Natural  History  " 
"Dr.  Cooke's  British  Fresh   Water  Algas," 


1 


Parts  6-8        

"Grevillea''        

"  Cole's  Studies  in  Microscopical  Science,"  &c. 

"  The  Microscopical  News  "       

Proceedings  and  Reports  of  various  Societies  and  Sundry  Pamphlets. 

The  following  slides  have  been  presented  to  the  Cabinet: — 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke 3 

Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman  ...         ...         ...  ...         ...     3 

-LOlELl       ••■        •••        •••        »•■        •••        •••    O 


In  accordance  with  a  resolution  passed  last  year,  that  the  Annual 
Dinners  be  officially  recognised  and  placed  under  the  direction  of  a 
duly  appointed  Sub-Committee,  the  following  gentlemen  were 
elected  to  carry  out  the  arrangements  for  the  Annual  Winter 
Dinner,  held  Dec.  8th  :— Mr  T.  C.  White,  Mr.  T.  Curties,  Mr. 
James  Willson,  and  Mr.  J.  W.  Goodinge,  Secretary. 

The  Dinner  was  given  at  the  Holborn  Restaurant,  the  President 
occupying  the  chair,  supported  by  leading  members  of  the  Club 
and  by  Fellows  of  other  learned  and  kindred  Societies.  Ninety- 
three  members  and  their  friends  attended.  The  musical  arrange- 
ments were  under  the  direction  of  Messrs.  A.  C.  Cole  and  James 
Willson,  and  Messrs.  Collard  kindly  lent  one  of  their  grand  pianos 
for  the  occasion.  The  usual  toasts  were  proposed  and  responded 
to,  and  altogether  the  dinner  and  arrangements  gave  general  satis- 
faction. 

With  the  desire  of  making  the  ordinary  excursions  more  useful 
to  the  Club  at  large,  forms  have  been  drawn  up,  and  are  distributed 
by  the  Secretary  of  the  Excursion  Committee  to  the  members 
taking  part  in  them  to  be  filled  up  with  the  names,  descriptions 
and  localities  of  the  various  specimens  taken.  These  forms  are 
then  placed  in  a  portfolio,  and  are  open  to  the  inspection  of  mem- 
bers on  the  Conversational  evenings.  In  this  way  it  is  hoped  that 
members  unable  to  participate  in  the  excursions  themselves  may 
share  in  the  results,  and  that  the  forms  will  be  valuable  for  refers 
ence  in  the  future. 


78  REPORT    OF    THE    COMMITTEE. 

The  Excursionists'  Annual  Dinner  was  held  on  June  21st  at  the 
Forest  Hotel  at  Chingford,  under  the  direction  of  the  Excursion 
Sub- Committee.  The  attraction  of  the  locality,  and  the  favourable 
state  of  the  weather,  brought  together  a  large  gathering,  and  the 
dinner  itself  was  greatly  enhanced  by  some  very  excellent  vocal 
and  instrumental  music,  contributed  by  members  of  the  Club, 
under  the  able  direction  of  Mr.  James  Willson. 

A  special  exhibition  meeting  was  held,  by  the  kind  permission 
of  the  College  authorities,  on  May  30th,  and  was  attended  by 
about  130  members  and  161  visitors.  Although  no  very  great 
novelties  were  produced,  the  exhibits  were  of  a  generally  excellent 
and  instructive  character,  and  evidently  afforded  satisfaction  to 
the  members  and  their  friends. 

The  Journals  for  the  past  year  have  been  issued  with  regu- 
larity under  the  able  editorship  of  Mr.  Hailes,  four  numbers 
having  appeared  since  the  last  report,  and  it  now  only  rests  with 
the  members  themselves  to  maintain  the  matter  in  them  at  at 
least  as  high  a  standard  as  heretofore. 

The  permission  to  hold  our  meetings  in  the  College  has  again 
been  renewed  for  the  ensuing  year  with  the  same  courtesy  and 
kindness  that  the  Club  has  always  met  with  from  the  Council  of 
University  College. 

Your  Committee  desire  to  express  their  thanks  to  the  officers  of 
the  Club  for  their  services  during  the  year,  and  also  to  those  gen- 
tlemen who  kindly  came  forward  to  give  the  excellent  series  of 
demonstrations  which  have  proved  so  useful  to  the  members  of  the 
Club. 

It  is  with  feelings  of  the  sincerest  regret  that  your  Committee 
have  to  announce  the  resignation  of  the  senior  Honorary  Secretary. 
For  eleven  years  Mr.  J.  E.  Ingpen  has  fulfilled  the  arduous  and  re- 
sponsible duties  of  that  office  with  the  utmost  ability  and  unre- 
mitting attention ;  his  great  experience  has  always  been  at  the 
service  of  any  and  every  member  of  the  Club,  and  he  has  during 
the  whole  time  been  most  assiduous  in  promoting  and  sustaining 
its  efficiency  in  every  respect. 

Your  Committee  trust  that  the  endeavour  to  render  the  Club 
a  means  of  instruction  and  utility  to  all  its  members,  which  has 
been  so  successfully  maintained  hitherto,  will  still  continue,  and 
that  no  effort  will  be  spared  to  keep  pace  with  all  relating  to  its 
special  pursuit. 


S  O    CO   O   tH   i-h   ?i   o   o 


03 


00     h     •*     CO     T)f     Jl     O      QO 


EH 
EH 

m 
m 

GQ 

EH 


W    t-    N    M    00    CO 


M    ^    O 


CO 


CO 

© 

• 

• 

00        . 

• 

• 

•             • 

a     : 
© 

m 

a 
o 

* 

; 

: 

: 

•  1-4 

c3 

■              > 

© 
to 
© 

- 

-4-) 
CD 

• 

p-H 

a 

Ul 
EH 

• 

• 

i— < 

o 
O     : 

a 

; 

o 

a 
© 

"             • 

p"1            - 

©       O 

03 

to  £> 

: 

HP 

a 

•  • 

•  • 

O 
O 
O 

• 

a 
.2 

o3 
-t-i 

Ul 

a 

to 

p* 
O 

.2  "S 
.p*  2 

©~  *o 

- 

CO 

a 
o 

•  — 
4-1 

•  ^^ 

.0 

CO 

©      . 
co 

a 

© 

fe 

CO 
CO 

eS 

c3 

o    u 

a    © 

04 

M 

1-1 

bo 

© 

<3    2 

^_i 

tyE 
ance 

o 

CO 

p-       d 

©    p 

e3 

[3 

'© 

•     *  • 

e 

-u     h 

3 

© 

-^      T3 

Eh 
123 

t-3 

PL* 

O 

43    d 

O 
•~3 

02 

©     e3 
Ph   M 

W 

a 

^    W5CO  N  O 

c5  «*  o  o  oo 

f— I  f-< 

S  o  3  *  N 


co 

a 
o 


o 

CO 

rO. 

d 
02 


1> 


Ol 

CO 


CO 
00 
00 


CO 


d 

1-5 


a 
c3    2 


CO 
00 


o 
.  co 

M     © 

o  § 

1-5 


a 
o 


a 
©  •" 
a    S 

H       CO 

pq  <« 

o 

EH 


CO 

a 

a 

a 
o 
a. 

a 

o 
O 

a 
o 

CO 
13 

a 
© 

5  £ 


c3 

a 

- 
d 
o 

1-5 

— 

o 
© 


p*» 

JO 

s 

© 

pp 
o 

-t-3 

© 

© 
,a 

to 

a 

•ri 

-s 


© 

.a 
I 

© 

to  -j 

a   15 

>  2 
.3   S 

1* 

to  o 

*S  -** 

ph       © 

£  a 

i  s 

d    co 

H>9 

b 

© 
© 


£ 


co 
o 

-4-» 

a 


W 


© 

pH 

EH 

co 

u 
© 

,a 

© 

a 

© 

r^      CQ 

3  ° 

ja 

uj  H 

-u 

S    . 

I— 1 

T3 
§ 

^  W 

«* 

© 

cc? 
© 

H 

d 

•PH 

-4J 

-4J 

•PH 

•  pH 

a 
© 

a 

Ph 

<1 

M 

H 

-p3 

a 

np 

© 

d 

Q 

o3 

© 

© 

a 

o 

© 

o 

© 

a 

PH 

i— i 

-a 

H 

O 

^ 

© 
fz5 

Hp3 

a 
© 

a 

a 

•  rf 

© 

"« 

H-3 

c3 

© 

HV3 

CO 

DO 

© 

1 

© 
> 
O 

rO 

-U 

eS 

a 

a 

© 

O 

pP 

a 

-rS 

<1 

13 

00 
00 


pd 

-p3 
!>• 


80 


PROCEEDINGS. 
July  11th,  1884. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Pandorina  in  ovum,  and  various  rotifers  ...  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Fresh-water  annelid,' Limnodrilus        ...  ...  Mr.  A.  Hammond. 

Circulation  in  young  Stickleback         ...         ...  ,,  „ 

Newts      ...  ...         ...  Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 


>» 


>»  H  » 


Parasites  of  Wood-pigeon,  &c ...     Mr.  T.  S.  Morten. 

Bacterium,  sp.,  from  eye  disease  ...         ...     Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

Various  double- stained  vegetable  sections      ...     Mr.  F.  Oxley. 
Attendance — Members,  37  ;  Visitor,  1. 


July  25th,  1884. — Annual  Meeting. 
Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 

the  Club  :— Mr.  Conrad  Beck,  Mr.  Richard  H.  Wellington,  Mr.  J.  H.  Ellis, 

Mr.  W.  Marten  Holmes,  and  Mr.  John  J.  Kern. 

The  following  additions  to  the  Library  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society" From  the  Society. 

"Paper  on  Diatom acese"  ...  ...         ...       „      Mr.  Kitton. 

"  Report  and  Proceedings  of    the  Croydon")  , ,     o     •  . 

Microscopical  Club "  ...  ...  ...  ) 

"  Science  Gossip "  „     the  Publisher. 

"  The     American     Monthly     Microscopical^)      t    F     h 

Journal"  ...         ...  ...  ...  ) 

"  The  American  Naturalist "     ...         ...  ...      „  „ 

"  Cole's  Studies  in  Microscopical  Science"    ...     Purchased. 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  voted  to  the  respective  donors. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made 

and  the  business  of  the  Anniversary  Meeting  was  proceeded  with. 

Mr.  W.  Hainworth  and  Mr.  W.  W.  Reeves   having  been  duly  appointed 

Scrutineers,    the  ballot  for   the   election  of  officers    and  four  members  of 

Committee   took  place,    at    the  conclusion   of    which    the   following  were 

declared  to  be  duly  elected  : — 

i      Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S., 

PRESIDENT        -j  &c.,  &C. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  &c. 
C     Dr.  J.  Matthews,  F.R.M.S. 
Vice-Presidents     <     Mr#  A.  D.  Michael,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S. 

v.     Mr.  C.  Stewart,  M.R.C.S.,F.L.S.,&c. 


81 

Hox.  Treasurer     Mr.  F.  W.  Gay,  F.E.M.S. 

Hon.  Secretary      Mr.  G.  C.  Karop,  M.R.C.S.,  &c. 

Hon.    Secretary    for    Foreign") 
Correspondence    and    Editors     Mr.  Henry  F.  Hailes. 
of  Journal...         ) 

Hon.  Reporter        Mr.  R.  T.  Lewis,  F.R.M.S. 

Hon.  Librarian       Mr.  Alpheus  Smith. 

Hon.  Curator  Mr.  C.  Emery. 

Mr  E.  T.  Newton,  F.G.S. 

Four    Members  to    Supply  Va-  \      Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 
cancies  on  Committee  ...  1      Mr.  J.  G.  Waller. 

(-     Mr.  T.  C.  White,  M.R.C.S.,  &c. 

The  Secretary  read  the  Annual  Report  of  the  Committee,  also  the 
Treasurer's  Annual  Statement  of  Account  and  Balance  Sheet,  duly  audited 
and  certified  as  correct. 

Mr.  Buffham  moved  the  adoption  of  the  Report,  which  he  thought  was  one 
upon  which  the  unofficial  members  of  the  Club  might  well  congratulate 
themselves  as  being  one  which  could  hardly  be  more  satisfactory.  One 
portion  of  the  report  particularly  commended  itself  to  their  notice,  and 
that  was  the  reference  made  to  the  purchase  of  so  many  valuable  books  for 
the  library.  It  had  no  doubt  been  the  experience  of  many  besides  himself 
that  if  they  had  any  special  subject  which  they  wished  to  study  they  found 
considerable  difficulty  in  getting  along  without  the  right  books  for  reference, 
and  he  could  only  say  that  he  hoped  the  Committee  would  in  future  avail 
themselves  of  all  the  means  within  their  power  for  purchasing  the  very  best 
works  on  various  subjects  which  could  be  procured. 

Mr.  Goodwin  had  much  pleasure  in  seconding  the  report.  He  had  heard 
it  said  that  a  Society  never  prospered  until  it  found  itself  in  debt, 
probably  because  when  it  found  itself  in  difficulties  it  exerted  its  greatest 
energies,  but,  however  that  might  be,  he  must  admit  that  there  was  a  feel- 
ing of  comfort  in  finding  that  the  balance  was  on  the  right  side.  He  had 
noticed  a  new  feature,  x'ecently  introduced  into  another  Society,  which 
he  thought  they  might  do  well  to  take  into  consideration,  and  that  was  as 
to  the  admission  of  ladies  as  members.  It  might  be  that  in  that  Society 
the  resolution  was  adopted  as  a  tentative  measure,  in  which  case  he  hoped 
its  future  would  be  watched  with  a  view  to  profiting  by  the  experience 
gained.  For  his  own  part  he  should  like  te  see  a  similar  feature  introduced 
into  their  own  Society. 

The  President  said  he  was  very  glad,  personally,  to  have  received  the 
testimony  of  the  mover  of  this  resolution,  as  a  non-official  member  of  the 
Club,  as  to  the  action  of  the  Committee  during  the  past  year  in  their 
endeavours  to  increase  the  efficiency  of  the  library.  They  would  see 
by  the  report  that  a  large  sum — scarcely  less  than  £100 — had  been  ex- 
pended in  the  purchase  of  books  of  reference,  many  of  which  were  of 
a  very  valuable  character  to  the  student  of  microscopy,  and  the  expendi- 
ture of  so  large  an  amount  had  naturally  caused  them  to  feel  some  degree  of 
responsibility  in  the  matter.  He  was,  therefore,  very  glad  to  find  that 
their  action  had  been  so  much  approved  by  the  members,  and  that  they  felt 


82 

with  the  Committee  that  what  had  been  done  had  conferred  a  permanent 
benefit  upon  the  Club.'.  With  reference  to  the  remarks  of  the  seconder 
of  the  motion,  no  doubt  his  reference  to  what  had  been  done  elsewhere 
was  made  in  all  good  faith — but  it  was  not  everyone  who  had  been  a 
Queketter  long  enough  to  remember  the  very  strong  battle  which  they  had 
upon  this  very  question  years  ago — about  the  second  year  of  the  Club's 
existence,*  when  a  similar  proposal  was  made.  On  that  occasion  all 
the  energies  of  the  members  was  called  out  against  it  in  a  way  that 
few  who  took  part  in  the  matter  were  likely  to  forget,  with  the  result 
that  when  the  proposition  was  put  to  the  special  meeting,  convened 
to  consider  it,  only  one  vote — that  of  the  mover — was  recorded  in  favour  of 
it.  He  thought  it  was  well  to  remind  the  gentleman  who  had  just  sat  down 
that  the  same  feeling  was  still  in  existence,  and  that  he  and  others  might 
lay  the  nattering  unction  to  their  hearts  that  if  they  re-introduced  the 
subject  they  would  have  the  selfsame  tigers  to  meet  who  attacked  and 
overthrew  the  proposition  on  the  last  occasion.  They,  at  least,  had  an  idea 
that  though  the  establishment  of  their  Club  might  have  embodied  some 
failings  and  some  faults,  it  had  proved  to  be  as  good  as  could  have  been 
desired,  and,  inasmuch  as  this  was  felt  to  be  the  case  by  those  who 
had  seen  it  grow  and  thrive  from  its  earliest  commencement,  their  motto 
was  emphatically  "  Let  well  alone."  They  were  perfectly  satisfied  with  it  as 
it  was,  and,  therefore,  had  no  desire  to  try  any  experiments,  let  any 
other  chartered  Society  do  what  it  might. 

The  motion  was  then  put  to  the  meeting,  and  carried  unanimously. 

The  President  then  read  his  annual  Address. 

Mr.  Chas.  Stewart  said  he  rose  with  very  great  pleasure  to  move  a  cordial 
vote  of  thanks  to  the  President  for  his  Address.  In  past  times  they  had  had 
Presidents  who  had  filled  the  chair  with  great  honour  to  themselves  and  to 
the  Club  ;  but  of  all  those  illustrious  Presidents  of  the  past,  they  had  none 
who  had  more  efficiently  carried  out  the  duties  of  the  office  than  the  one 
they  were  about  to  lose,  for  he  had  not  only  conducted  their  meetings  with 
an  amount  of  ability  and  learning  which  could  not  fail  to  have  been 
remarked,  but  by  courtesy  and  tact  had  endeared  himself  to  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Society. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Brown  having  seconded  the  motion,  it  was  put  to  the  meeting 
by  Mr.  Stewart,  and  carried  unanimously. 

The  President,  in  rising  to  thank  the  members  for  the  very  cordial  way 
in  which  this  vote  had  been  received  and  carried,  said  that  it  was  to  him  a 
noteworthy  circumstance  that  the  most  important  work  of  a  pond-hunter, 
and,  indeed,  the  only  work  on  "  Fresh  Water  Algae,"  which  had  appeared 
for  40  years,  had  been  contemporaneous  with  his  two  years  of  office.  The 
first  sheets  were  put  in  hand  two  years  ago,  and  the  last  were  finished  only 
during  the  past  week,  so  that  the  work  could  be  said  to  be  that  of  the 
President  of  the  Qnekett  Microscopical  Club.  Another  thing  which  had 
originated  during  his  presidency  was  the  establishment  of  a  series  of 
demonstrations,  which  had  not  only  been  so  useful  and  successful  that 
they  hoped   to   be   able   to   continue  them,    but    they   had  redeemed  the 

*  March  27th,  1862. 


85 

Club  from  the  charge  of  becoming  too  theoretical  and  namby-pamby. 
Then,  again,  when  he  was  congratulated  upon  the  work  of  the  past  year, 
it  led  him  to  look  round  and  see  what  was  being  done  also  by  others,  and 
attention  was  at  once  directed  to  the  Journal,  which,  from  being  nearly 
a  year  behind  (from  causes  which  were  both  unavoidable  and  regrettable), 
was  now  brought  nearly  up  to  date.  True,  it  might  be  said,  no  less  than 
£232  had  been  expended  upon  it  during  the  two  years,  but,  nevertheless,  it 
was  an  expense  well  incurred,  and  afforded  an  answer  to  people  who 
taid  they  were  hoarding  up  their  money  instead  of  using  it  for  the  benefit 
of  the  Club.  Then,  as  regarded  their  annual  dinners,  these  had  been  brought 
under  the  direct  control  of  the  Committee,  and  recognised  as  one  of  their 
established  institutions,  whilst  for  their  summer  excursionists'  dinner  the 
change  had  been  made,  he  thought  with  good  results,  from  visiting  a 
southern  suburb  to  a  district  nearer  home  ;  whilst,  in  connection  with 
the  excursions  themselves,  the  adoption  of  a  plan  for  permanently  pre- 
serving  records  of  what  had  been  found  was  a  new  departure,  from  which 
the  best  results  only  could  be  anticipated.  He  could  only  say  that  he  desired 
sincerely  to  thank  all  the  members  for  the  courtesy  which  had  always  been 
extended  to  him,  and  the  Vice-Presidents  and  officers  for  the  cordial  sup- 
port and  assistance  which  they  had  always  rendered,  and,  not  by  any  means 
least,  were  his  thanks  due  to  their  old  friend,  Mr.  Ingpen,  for  his  help 
rendered  under  the  most  trying  personal  and  family  circumstances. 

Dr.  Matthews  then  moved  "  That  the  President  be  requested  to  allow  his 
Address  to  be  printed  and  published,  and  to  be  circulated  with  the  report  in 
the  usual  way." 

Mr.  Parsons  having  seconded  the  motion,  it  was  put  to  the  meeeting, 
carried  unanimously,  and  acquiesced  in  by  the  President. 

Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland  moved  "  A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Committee  and 
Officers  of  the  Club  for  their  services  rendered  during  the  past  year,'' 
a  resolution  which  he  felt  needed  no  words  from  him  to  commend  it  to  their 
consideration. 

Mr.  A.  Dean  seconded  the  motion,  which  was  put  to  the  meeting,  and 
carried  unanimously. 

Mr.  T.  C.  White  said  he  held  in  his  hand  a  resolution  which  he  had  great 
pleasure  in  laying  before  the  meeting,  and  that  was  <f  That  the  thanks  of  the 
Club  be  offered  to  the  Council  and  Authorities  of  University  College  for  the 
continued  privilege  of  meeting  within  those  walls,"  a  privilege  which  they 
had  enjoyed  for  many  years,  and  the  very  great  advantage  of  which  he  need 
not  say  a  word  to  make  apparent  to  anyone  present. 

Mr.  Goodwin  seconded  the  motion,  and  had  additional  pleasure  in  so 
doing,  since  it  was  through  a  member  of  the  Council  that  he  was  first  in- 
troduced to  the  Club.  They  must  all  feel  that  it  was  not  a  small  thing  to  be 
allowed  to  hold  their  meetings  in  that  splendid  room,  and  in  such  a  building. 

The  President  felt  sure  they  would  carry  this  vote  of  thanks  in  the 
heartiest  possible  way.  No  one  felt  more  than  himself  that  it  was  a  source 
of  very  great  gratification  to  find  that  they  wTere  still  to  be  allowed  to 
meet  where  they  had  met  together  for  so  many  years,  and  that  their 
thanks  still  increased  as  years  went  on, 


84 

The  motion  was  then  put  to  the  meeting,  and  carried  by  acclamation. 
A   vote  of  thanks  to  the  Auditors  and  Scrutineers  was  then  proposed 
by  Mr.  J.  G.  Waller,  seconded  by  Mr.  Hailes,  and  carried  unanimously. 

The  President  then  announced  that  this  terminated  the  business  of  the 
Annual  Meeting,  and  it  became  his  privilege  once  more  to  retire  into  private 
life. 

Attention  was  directed  to  the  fact  of  the  pre  sence  amongst  the  visitors 
to  the  Club  that  evening  of  Mr.  H.  B.  Chamberlain,  the  Secretary  of  the 
Denver  Colorado  Microscopical  Society,  to  whom  a  cordial  welcome  was 
given  by  the  President  and  members. 

The  meeting  closed  with  the  usual  conversazione,  and  the  following 
objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Larva  of  Vapourer  moth  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Section  of  scalp  of  child  ...         Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 

Spongilla fiuviatilis        ...         ...         ...  ...     Mr.  J.  Woollett. 

Attendance — Members,  49 ;  Visitors,  3. 


August  8th,  1884. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited: — 

Bythotrephes  cederstromii            ...  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Eggs  of  parasite  of  grey  crow  ...         ...  ...  Mr.  W.  J.  Curteis. 

Hexapod  larva  of  Argas pipistrellce    ...  ...  Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Crystals  in  spermaceti,  polarized          ...  ...  Mr.  H.  G.  Glasspoole. 

Larva  and  pupa  of  Chironomus  plumosus  ...  Mr.  A.  Hammond. 

Coleopterous  larva  (aquatic)     ...         ...  ...  Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Attendance — Members,  26  ;  Visitors,  0. 


August  22nd,  1884. — Ordinary  Meeting. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

Mr.  T.  S.   Smithson  was  balloted  for,  and  duly  elected  a  member  of  the 
Club. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society" From  the  Society. 

11  Science  Gossip  "  ,       ,,     Publisher. 

"  The  Microscopical  News "      „       „     Editor. 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  Institute  "       ...         ,,       ,,     Institute. 
"  Quarterly  Journal  of  Microscopical  Science  "       Purchased. 
"Cooke's  Fresh  Water  Algae,"  part  9  ...  „ 

"  Annals  of  Natural  History"  ...  ...  ...  ,, 

"  Cole's  Studies  in  Microscopical  Science  "...  „ 

"  Grevillea  "         ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  ,, 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  read  a  paper  "  On  a  Hydrostatic  Fine  Adjustment  for  the 
Microscope,"  illustrated  by  sectional  diagrams. 

Mr.  Karop  inquired  if  this  design  was  proposed  as  a  really  practical  thing, 
or  merely  as  a  suggestion  ?     To  his  mind  it  seemed  to  present  some  mecha- 


85 

nical  difficulties  in  the  way  of  construction,  for  it  must  be  made  perfectly- 
true  and  tight,  and  would  have  to  be  made  of  steel,  because  mercury  would 
act  upon  brass  or  gun-metal.  Then  if  it  required  a  large  mercury  chamber 
this  would  add  to  the  weight  rather  inconveniently.  As  regarded  medical 
students'  microscopes,  he  thought  they  were  already  better  than  the  use 
that  was  made  of  them. 

Mr.  Nelson  did  not  think  there  was  much  mechanical  difficulty  in  the 
matter,  as  the  apparatus  could  easily  be  made  of  pieces  of  iron  tubing,  and 
could  be  drilled  out  so  as  to  take  steel  rods  fitting  quite  air-tight ;  and  he 
thought  that  if  the  large  rams  could  be  made  water-tight  which  carried  200 
tons,  this  small  one  could  be  readily  made  mercury. tight  under  a  pressure  of 
a  few  ounces. 

Mr.  Parsons  inquired  how  it  was  proposed  to  make  the  piston  tight  in  this 
case  ;  the  pistons  of  hydraulic  rams  were  packed  by  means  of  cup-leathers. 

Mr.  Nelson  thought  it  would  not  need  any  packing  if  it  were  drilled  out 
and  fitted  with  perfect  accuracy. 

Mr.  Karop  thought  that  accuracy  would  mean  made  so  tight  as  to  hold 
the  surfaces  together  as  if  they  were  soldered. 

Mr.  Hailes  did  not  think  that  this  necessarily  followed,  because  they  had 
almost  the  same  thing  in  the  pump  of  an  air-gun,  which  was  simply  a  steel 
plunger,  about  2in.  X  fin.,  fitted  without  any  packing,  and  this  was  capable 
of  withstanding  a  very  great  pressure,  so  that  he  thought  there  would  not 
be  much  difficulty  on  that  account. 

Mr.  Nelson  said  that  the  pressure  required  need  not  be  excessive  ;  in 
fact,  he  should  think  lib.  pressure  would  be  quite  sufficient,  and  that  if  the 
rod  was  polished  in,  it  would  be  sufficiently  tight  for  the  purpose. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  said  that  everyone  who  was  in  the  habit  of  using  the  fine 
adjustment  was  well  aware  of  the  jumps  with  which  it  worked,  and  of  the 
constant  difficulty  of  getting  at  the  exact  distance  required,  and  they  would 
no  doubt  all  agree  that  something  better  was  wanted  for  use  with  the 
highest  powers ;  but  with  regard  to  the  question  whether  this  idea  was 
likely  to  answer  best  for  all  purposes,  wras  one  which  could  only  be  answered 
experimentally — the  proof  of  the  pudding  would  be  in  the  eating. 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  his  communication  was  unanimously 
carried. 

Mr.  Karop  exhibited  a  green  caterpillar,  found  upon  a  geranium  leaf,  and 
covered  with  parasitic  larvae,  presumably  of  some  species  of  Ichneumon. 
The  specimen  was  handed  round  for  the  inspection  of  members,  and  some 
further  description  of  the  larvae  was  given  by  the  aid  of  drawings  on  the 
black-board.  The  study  of  this  large  and  interesting  group  of  insects,  of 
which  comparatively  little  was  known,  was  strongly  recommended. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione. 

The  following  object  was  the  only  one  exhibited  : — 

Ptilote  elegans,  in  fruit  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. ' 

Attendance — Members,  25;  Visitor,  1, 


86 


September  12th,  1884. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Callithamnion  granulatum,  in  fruit     ...         ...  Mr.  F.  W.Andrew. 

Cheyletus flabellifer        Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Larva,   pupa,     and     imago    of    Chironomus')  m     A    TT 


plumosus 
Larva  and  pupa  of  Simulium  ... 
Daphnia  Bosmina 
Diatoms.     Coscinodiscus  excavatus 
Lacinvlaria  socialls 
Fredericella  sultana 

Double-stained  sections ;  Vanda  root,  &c. 
Docidium  truncatum 
Polyzoa,  Discojporella  fimbriata 
Shells  of  young  Limnasus  stagnalis 


s 


»> 


Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  E.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

>> 
Mr.  F.  Oxley. 
Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 
Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 
Mr.  A.  W.  Stokes. 


From  Dr.  Cooke. 
In  Exchange. 


n 


Attendance— Members,  41 ;  Visitors,  4. 

September  26th,  1884. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club  : — Mr.  H.  A.  Crowhurst,  and  Mr.  William  Watson. 
The  following  donations  were  announced  : — 

"Diseases  of  Field  and  Garden  Crops,"  by  W.") 

G.  Smith j 

"  The  American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal " 

"  The  American  Naturalist " 

"  Proceedings     of    the    Belgian     Microscopal ) 

Society"  j 

"  Science  Monthly  "  

"  Desmids  of  the  United  States  "  

"  Cole's  Studies  in  Natural  History  " 

"Annals  of  Natural  History  "     

A  Series  of  24  Stained  Botanical  Slides 

A  Series  of  12   Slides  of  Diatoms,  in  Illustra-) 

tion  of  Mr.  Kitton's  Paper  of  June  27th    j 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  Chairman  said  he  had  very  great  pleasure  in  announcing  that  they 

were  favoured  that  evening  by  the  presence   of  one  of  their  transatlantic 

brethren — Dr.  J.  H.  Wythe,  Professor  at  the  Cooper  Medical  College  of  San 

Francisco  and  author  of  "  The  Microscopist " — to  whom,  in  the  name  of  the 

Club,  he  offered  a  most  hearty  welcome.     Dr.  Wythe  had  been  giving  much 

attention  lately  to  a  new  subject,  which  he  called  "  Microscopic  Graphiology,'' 

and  upon  which  he  had  kindly  consented  to  make  some  remarks. 

Dr.  Wythe,  after  briefly  acknowledging  the  welcome  accorded  to  him  by 
the  President  and  members  present,  said  that  although  he  had  been  until 
then  personally   a   stranger  to  them,  he  was  well  acquainted  with  the 


Purchased. 


From  Mr.  Oxley. 
„  Mr.  Sturt. 


87 

Society  through  the  medium  of  its  Journal,  in  which  he  regularly  read 
their  proceedings  with  great  interest,  and  he  was  very  pleased  to  have  the 
opportanity  of  being  with  them  on  that  occasion.  He  was,  however,  hardly 
ready  to  give  them  any  very  carefully  prepared  communication,  as  he  was 
present  almost  unexpectedly,  for  having  called  upon  his  friend,  Mr.  Baker 
during  the  day,  he  had  been  asked  by  him  to  come  and  bring  before  them 
what  he  thought  was  a  new  topic  in  connection  with  Microscopy,  one  upon 
which  he  had  read  several  papers  at  the  San  Francisco  Microscopical 
Society.  He  had  called  it  "  Microscopic  Graphiology,"  and  he  believed  it 
would  be  found  to  supply  one  answer  to  the  question  "  What  good  was 
there  in  Microscopy?"  The  subject,  as  its  name  implied,  was  that  of  the 
examination  of  handwriting  under  the  microscope,  with  a  view  of  ascer- 
taining its  minute  peculiarities  as  a  means  of  identification.  It  was,  of 
course,  well  known  that  the  Microscope  had  long  been  used  as  a  means  of 
examining  the  texture  of  paper,  erasures,  differences  in  inks,  lines  crossing 
each  other,  and  other  features,  by  legal  men  in  cases  where  questions  arose 
as  to  the  genuine  character  of  documents ;  but  he  had  gone  much  beyond 
this  in  endeavouring  to  formulate  some  other  methods  of  examination  in  a 
way  that  could  be  understood  by  any  intelligent  observer.  He  believed  that 
he  had  succeeded  in  so  formulating  the  ideas  that  in  the  course  of  a  few 
months  they  would  be  in  print,  so  that  anyone  interested  in  the  subject 
would  be  able  to  read  it  for  themselves.  When,  at  any  time,  a  question 
arose  in  a  court  of  law  as  to  the  genuineness  or  otherwise  of  hand- 
writing, it  was  usual  to  call  in  ordinary  experts  to  examine  and  pronounce 
upon  it,  and  these  people  appeared  to  do  so  by  mere  intuition.  If  questioned 
as  to  their  means  of  discrimination,  they  could  not  say  why  or  how  they 
came  to  their  conclusions,  only  that  they  felt  sure — they  were  certain — 
that  the  two  specimens  of  writing  were  the  same.  His  own  attention  was 
particularly  called  to  the  subject  by  an  article  which  appeared  in  the 
"Bankers'  Magazine,"  for  July,  1878,  the  writer  of  which  maintained  that 
there  was  in  every  handwriting,  as  seen  under  the  microscope,  a  certain 
rhythm  or  set  of  waves  peculiar  to,  and  distinctive  of,  each.  These  waves 
were,  as  might  be  expected,  very  small,  there  being  several  hundreds  of 
them  in  a  single  inch,  so  that  they  were  not  to  be  seen  by  unassisted  vision. 
On  carefully  examining  the  subject,  he  found  that  there  were  three  rhythms 
in  the  handwriting  of  every  man,  each  of  which  must  be  taken  into  con- 
sideration in  connection  with  the  others.  The  first  of  these  he  called  the 
rhythm  of  form,  by  which  it  was  meant  that  everyone  had  a  certain  method 
of  forming  his  letters  peculiar  to  himself,  and  it  was  upon  this  that 
ordinary  experts  chiefly  relied.  They  used  a  hand  lens  or  a  doublet,  but 
there  was  no  doubt  that  even  for  this  purpose  a  microscope  would  be 
of  great  use.  In  addition  to  the  shape  of  the  letters,  another  feature  came 
under  this  head  ;  for  instance,  a  person  in  writing  a  letter  would  often  make 
several  strokes  in  succession  exactly  at  the  same  angle,  and  then  there 
would  be  a  kind  of  break  or  change,  and  this  would  be  repeated  at  regular 
intervals,  so  that  very  often  it  was  possible  to  identify  handwriting  by 
this  rhythm  of  form  alone.  The  best  description  of  this  system  which  had 
yet  come  unto  his  hands  was  one  published  by  the  Hon.  Mr.  Thistleton,  in 
which  he  gave  an  account  of  the  methods  of  Mons.  Chabot,  the  well  known 


88 

London  expert.  The  next  kind  of  rhythm  was  the  one  specially  referred 
to,  and  to  which  he  had  given  the  title  of  the  rhythm  of  progress.  In  the 
examination  of  this  he  had  found  it  best  to  use  a  binocular  microscope, 
■with  Ziess's  objective  3in.  to  5in.  and  a  very  intense  illumination  by  the 
concentration  of  the  light  of  a  lamp  upon  the  paper  by  means  of  a 
powerful  bull's-eye.  The  idea  was  that  in  the  act  of  writing  the  co- 
ordination of  the  muscles,  being  the  result  of  a  nervous  wave,  was 
rhythmical,  and  produced  an  effect  upon  the  paper  of  a  wavy  or  moniliform 
appearance,  and  it  was  claimed  by  the  writer  of  the  article  referred  to  that 
this  varied  characteristically  in  the  handwriting  of  different  persons.  That 
it  did  so  he  could  affirm  positively.  The  third  kind  he  had  called  the 
rhythm  of  pressure,  some  persons  making  a  thick  downstroke  and  a  thin 
upstroke,  and  others  not  making  much  variety.  He  proposed,  therefore, 
to  formulate  these  three  rythms— of  form,  progress,  and  pressure — and 
he  thought  it  would  be  readily  seen  that  when  they  all  combined  in  the 
same  manner  in  the  specimens  of  handwriting  under  examination  it 
amounted  to  a  moral  certainty  that  they  were  written  by  the  same  hand. 
He  thought  from  this  slight  outline  of  the  principles  of  his  system  the 
members  of  the  Club  would  be  able  to  follow  it  up,  and  he  hoped  they 
would  be  induced  to  study  it.  For  his  own  part  he  wanted  as  much  in- 
vestigation as  was  possible,  being  much  more  concerned  for  truth  than  for 
victory,  and  he  was  also  desirous  that  people  should  know  that  science 
was  of  some  more  use  than  merely  for  amusement. 

The  Chairman  said  that  having  heard  this  subject  introduced  by  Dr. 
Wythe,  no  doubt  there  would  be  a  desire  to  ask  him  some  further  questions 
upon  it.  To  most  of  them  it  would  probably  be  new,  and  would,  therefore, 
possess  some  additional  interest  on  that  account.  He  would,  therefore, 
invite  observations  upon  it,  for  although  they  were  promised  the  oppor- 
tunity of  some  day  reading  the  description  in  full,  yet  as  they  had  that 
evening  the  author  amongst  them  in  propria  persona  they  could  question 
him,  whereas  the  paper  itself  would  be  dumb. 

Mr.  J.  J.  Kern  asked  if  it  made  any  difference  in  the  character  of  the 
curves  when  the  pen  was  held  in  different  ways. 

Dr.  Wythe  said  that  if  the  pen  was  held  very  slopingly  there  would  be  a 
difference  in  the  appearance  of  the  stroke,  and  the  lines  would  show  a 
ragged  edge.  They  could  easily  tell  how  the  pen  was  held  by  the  marks  it 
made,  but  the  rhythm  would  be  the  same  notwithstanding. 

Mr.  Waller  inquired  if  the  texture  of  the  paper  would  not  make  a  con- 
siderable difference. 

Dr.  Wythe  said  it  had  been  suggested  that  the  second  rhythm  was  pro- 
duced by  irregular  absorption  due  to  the  nature  of  the  material  written 
upon.  No  doubt  this  did  have  some  effect,  but  though  the  texture  of  the 
paper  would  make  some  difference,  it  did  so  only  to  a  comparatively  slight 
extent. 

Mr.  Karop  said  that  from  a  physiological  point  of  view  one  would 
naturally  suppose  that  such  an  effect  as  that  described  by  Dr.  Wythe  would 
take  place.  Writing  was  a  muscular  act,  and,  like  all  muscular  actions,  was 
made  up  of  a  series  of  impulses,  or  waves. 

Dr.  Wythe  said  that  the  first  crucial  test,  to  which  he  was  put  by  the 


89 

Court  of  Justice  in  America,  was  one  which  he  believed  they  would  think 
certainly  was  so  in  an  extreme  sense.  He  had  been  examining  a  specimen 
of  handwriting  as  compared  with  another,  and  had  stated  that  he  was 
satisfied  as  to  its  identity.  The  judge  then  inquired  if  he  was  willing  to 
have  a  crucial  test  made  of  the  value  of  his  method.  Of  course,  under  the 
circumstances,  he  said  that  he  was  willing.  The  test  was  this  :  Three  long 
foolscap  sheets  of  paper  were  ruled,  and  the  gentleman  whose  handwriting 
was  the  subject  of  inquiry  filled  in  ten  or  twelve  of  the  lines  at  irregular 
intervals,  and  then  a  skilful  lithographer,  accustomed  to  closely  imitate 
writing,  carefully  filled  in  the  other  lines  with  what  seemed  to  be  exact 
copies  of  the  gentleman's  signature.  The  paper  having  then  been  marked 
at  the  edge  as  a  key,  this  was  cut  off  and  retained  by  the  judge,  and  he 
was  handed  the  rest  and  asked  to  pick  out  the  gentleman's  signatures  from 
the  whole  number.  It  was  a  cnicial  test,  and  one  which  he  thought  a  man 
ought  not  very  often  to  have  put  to  him ;  but  after  a  careful  study  of 
the  paper  he  was  able  to  pick  out  accurately  eleven  of  the  twelve. 
Physiology,  as  remarked  by  Mr.  Karop,  verified  the  principle  of  the  method 
in  a  moment,  for  writing  was  a  muscular  act,  and  one  of  the  most  com- 
plicated kind.  There  would  naturally,  therefore,  be  a  difference  at 
different  times,  but  although  the  rhythm  would  be  exaggerated  under  the 
influence  of  stimulation,  or  of  disease,  it  would  be  found  that  its  charac- 
teristics remained  the  same. 

Mr.  Hind  asked  if  the  same  method  was  found  to  apply  to  pencil  marks. 

Dr.  Wythe  said  that  the  rhythms  of  form  and  pressure  would  remain,  but 
slightly  altered  ;  that  of  progress  it  was  almost  impossible  to  trace  in 
pencil  writing.  It  often  happened  that  a  small,  sharp  particle  of  graphite 
would  cut  out  the  fibres  of  the  paper  entirely. 

Dr.  Matthews  inquired  if  Dr.  Wythe  was  cognisant  of  the  great  difference 
which  existed  between  a  man's  writing  in  the  morning  and  in  the  evening 
under  certain  physical  conditions.  He  remembered  a  case  where  writer's- 
palsy  was  coming  on,  and  the  man's  signature  was  rejected  by  his  bankers 
when  written  in  the  morning,  but  when  he  wrote  it  in  the  evening  they 
accepted  it.  Would  it  be  possible  to  identify  two  such  specimens  as  being 
the  same  handwriting  ? 

Dr.  Wythe  said  he  had  examined  a  number  of  specimens  of  the  writing 
of  persons  afflicted  with  writer's-palsy,  and  he  found  that  when  the  disease 
had  progressed  to  a  certain  extent  the  writing  had  almost  no  coherence  at 
all.  In  slighter  cases  he  thought  that  the  usual  characteristics  remained, 
although  they  were  exaggerated,  just,  in  fact,  as  they  would  be  under  the 
influence  of  a  stimulant. 

Dr.  Matthews  asked  if  Dr.  Wythe  had  applied  the  micrometer  with  a  view 
to  ascertain  the  value  of  the  rhythm. 

Dr.  Wythe  said  he  found  that  it  varied  in  different  persons  from  200  to 
400  in  an  inch.  The  subject  as  yet  was  only  in  its  infancy,  and  he  was  just 
telling  them  what  he  knew. 

Mr.  JBuffham  asked  if  there  would  be  much  difference  between  the  hand- 
writing of  a  person  when  he  wrote  very  rapidly  and  when  he  wrote  care- 
fully and  deliberately. 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C.,  Series  II.,  No.  10.  h 


90 

Dr.  "Wythe  said  that  of  course  a  rapid  handwriting  might  vary  apparently 
in  form  of  letters,  bnt  there  would  still  be,  to  an  ordinary  observer,  a  general 
similarity,  but  when  the  writing  came  to  be  examined  microscopically,  and 
the  other  two  rhythms  taken  into  consideration,  it  was  not  possible  to 
entertain  a  doubt  about  it.  Persons  who  tried,  in  these  and  other  ways 
to  disguise  their  handwriting  would  have  it  detected  easily  by  this  plan. 

The  Chairman  questioned  whether  in  rapid  writing  there  would  not  neces- 
sarily be  many  less  pulsations  in  a  given  space,  seeing  that  they  would  be 
spread  over  a  much  greater  surface  of  paper. 

Dr.  Wythe  said  that  it  had  been  suggested  that  under  the  stimulus  of 
rapid  action  the  impulses  would  themselves  be  more  rapid,  though  he  was 
unable  to  say  whether  this  would  take  place  in  equal  ratio.  The  best  con- 
ditions were,  when  making  an  examination,  to  have  the  brain  cool  and 
clear,  and  to  be  quite  quiet  and  undisturbed.  Get  a  number  of  specimens  of 
the  known  handwriting  of  the  suspected  person,  and  very  soon  it  was 
possible  to  become  so  familiar  with  its  peculiar  rhythm  as  to  be  able  to 
recognise  it  at  once. 

A  Member  asked  if  the  same  characters  would  be  apparent  in  the  case  of 
italics  printed  with  a  pen  ? 

Dr.  Wythe  said  that  of  course  in  such  a  case  the  form  would  be  entirely 
changed.  He  could  also  quite  understand  that  a  person  with  full  know- 
ledge might  be  able  to  disguise  his  writing  to  a  very  large  extent. 

The  Chairman  felt  sure  that  all  present  would  agree  that  Dr.  Wythe  had 
brought  forward  this  subject  in  a  very  interesting  way,  that  he  had  even 
in  this  age  of  novelties  introduced  yet  another,  and  one  likely  to  be  of  real 
use,  which  would  rebut  the  charge  that  they  played  with  the  microscope 
instead  of  working  with  it* 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  Dr.  Wythe  for  his  communication  was  then  put  to 
the  meeting,  and  carried  by  acclamation. 

The  Chairman  read  a  communication  from  the  Highbury  Microscopical 
Society  asking  the  assistance  of  members  of  the  Club  on  the  occasion  of 
their  Annual  Soiree,  fixed  for  October  9th. 

Members  were  also  invited  to  join  in  a  mycological  excursion  to  Epping 
Forest  on  the  27th. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione.  The  follow- 
ing objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Rotifer,  Co lurus  uncinatus     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Palate  of  Testacella  Maugii Mr.  G.  Bailey. 

Amoeba,  sp Mr.  W.  G.  Cocks. 

Rotifer,  sp.      ...         ...         •••         ...         ...  >> 

Flumularia,  mounted    in  glycerine  jelly,  )      Mr>  E   ftadswell. 
with  extended  tentacles  ...  ) 

Section  of  pitchstone  from  Arran Mr.  A.  V.  Jennings. 

Limnias  ceratophylli ...  ...  ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Phtirius  pubis,  fern,  eggs  and  young  ...     Mr.  A.  W.  Stokes. 

Plumatella  rejpens      Mr.  A.  Wildy. 

Attendance — Members,  60;    Visitors,  3. 


91 


On  the  Structure  of  Orbitolites. 

Inaugural  Address  op  the  President,  Dr.  W.  B. 
Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.  &c. 

(Delivered  October  24th,  1884J 

It  having  been  intimated  to  me  that  a  new  President  was  rather 
expected  to  give  an  Address  on  first  appearing  amongst  you,  I  have 
thought  I  could  perhaps  best  fulfil  the  object  of  giving  what 
encouragement  I  can  to  Microscopical  workers,  by  a  little  history  of 
my  own  study  of  the  Orbitolites.  *  I  began  the  subject  nearly  40 
years  ago,  and  finished  it  only  last  year ;  and  I  propose  to  bring 
before  you  some  of  the  points  of  general  interest  which  have  pre- 
sented themselves  to  me  during  this  prolonged  inquiry. 


Fig.  4. 

Shelly  Disk  of  Orbitolites  complanata,  showing  concentric  rings  of  chamber- 
lets,  arranged  round  a  central  nucleus. 

*  A  general  description  of  this  type,  with  illustrations,  is  given  in  "  The 
Microscope  and  its  Revelations."  The  Author's  complete  Monograph  of  the 
genus  will  be  found  in  Vol.  VII.  of  the  Challenger  Reports. 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  11.  I 


92    W.  B.  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  ORBITOLTTES. 

In  the  first  place,  the  group  of  organisms,  which  includes  the  genus 
Orbitolites,  had  been  long  known  as  fossils,  some  species  occur- 
ring in  great  numbers.  Indeed,  nearly  all  the  building  stone  in 
Paris  is  an  early  Tertiary  limestone  composed  almost  entirely  of 
Miliolines;  and  in  the  same  limestone  were  elsewhere  found  a  number 
of  discs  about  the  size  of  a  fourpenny  piece,  which  had  attracted 
some  notice.  They  were  mentioned  by  Lamarck,  who  considered 
them  as  Polypi,  and  placed  them  between  Lunulites  and  Millepores. 
This  is  not  very  surprising,  because  their  surfaces  are  for  the  most 
part  abraded  and  laid  open  ;  but  no  suspicion  seems  to  have  arisen 
that  they  were  anything  else  than  Polypi.  In  the  later  edition  of 
Lamarck,  it  was  said  that  forms  similar  to  these  had  been  dis- 
covered in  a  living  state  on  the  west  coast  of  Australia;  a  small 
species  was  also  found  living  in  the  Mediterranean,  but  this  was 
of  almost  microscopic  size.  It  was  my  good  fortune  to  come  into 
possession  of  some  specimens  of  these  recent  discs  about  40  years 
ago  ;  they  were  given  to  me  by  my  friend  Prof.  Ed.  Forbes,  who 
obtained  them  from  Mr.  Jukes,  who  had  dredged  them  up  off  the 
coast  of  Australia.  I  had  at  that  time  been  examining  Nwnmu- 
lites,  which  were  the  first  Foraminifera  to  which  I  gave  continuous 
attention,  and  of  which  I  had  received  clay- embedded  specimens 
from  Dr.  Bowerbank.  (I  found  that  these  gave  generally  much 
better  microscopic  structure  than  Nummulites  from  any  other 
bed  would  afford  ;  for  when  massed  together  in  Nummulitic 
limestone,  the  percolation  of  water  through  the  calcareous  matrix 
fills  up  the  tubes  and  alters  the  texture  to  such  a  degree  that  it 
is  a  matter  of  difficulty  at  times  to  recognise  them ;  whilst  those 
from  the  clay  give  the  structure  with  a  perfection  scarcely  ex- 
ceeded by  recent  specimens.  This  I  have  since  found  to  hold 
good  in  many  other  cases.) 

I  was  especially  on  the  outlook  for  anything  which  would 
elucidate  the  structure  of  some  small  discs  obtained  from  a  moun- 
tain near  Biarritz,  which  was  described  to  me  as  almost  entirely 
made  up  of  them.  For  a  long  time  I  could  not  find  anything  like 
them  ;  but  happening  to  ask  Prof.  Forbes  if  he  could  throw  any 
light  on  the  matter,  he  at  once  put  Mr.  Jukes'  specimens  into  my 
hands.*  This  was  the  beginning  of  my  study  of  the  Foraminifera  ; 

*  The  Biarritz  discs  subsequently  proved  to  possess  a  very  different 
internal  structure,  which  I  have  described  as  characterizing  D'Orbigny's 
genus  Orbitoides. 


W.    B.    CARPENTER    ON    THE    STRUCTURE    OF    ORBITOLITES.         93 

and  from  this  incident  the  whole  of  my   subsequent  researches 
upon  that  group  might  be  dated. 

I  found  Mr.  Jukes'  discs  to  correspond  very  closely  with  the 
fossil  discs  ;  but  the  best-preserved  amongst  them  had  the  chamber- 
lets  covered  over,  the  only  openings  being  at  the  margin.  I  was 
then  able  to  obtain  from  various  friends  some  of  the  small  species 
— the  recent  0.  marginalis  ;  and  found  that  these  also  had  a  thin 
film  covering  the  chambers,  with  a  single  row  of  marginal  pores. 
After  this,  Mr.  Cuming  put  his  collection  from  the  Phillipines  at 
my  disposal ;  and  I  also  obtained  some  sand  from  the  Red  Sea, 
which  abounded  in  specimens  of  0.  marginalis,  together  with  others 
having  two  rows  of  marginal  pores,  of  which  Prof.  Ehrenberg 
had  made  a  separate  genus,  placing  both  amongst  his  Bryozoa. 
He  not  only  figured  them  (from  abraded  specimens)  as  covered 
with  open  cells  like  those  of  a  Flustra,  bat  put  polypes  with  ciliated 
arms  into  these  cells.  Here,  then,  we  may  learn  an  important 
lesson — never  to  figure  anything  which  we  have  not  seen.  Prof. 
Ehrenberg  saw  with  his  mind's  eye  only,  and  hence  his  blunder. 
Unless  a  person  says  explicitly,  "  This  is  only  my  conception 
of  what  this  organism  has  been,"  he  has  no  right  to  make  such  a 
drawing. 


Fig.  5. 

Composite  sarcodic  body  of  Simple  type  of  Orbitolite : — a,  primordial  seg- 
ment ;  b,  circumambient  segment,  giving  off  peduncle,  from  which  arise 
the  successive  circles  of  sub-segments,  connected  by  annular  and 
radial  stolons. 


94    W.  B.  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  ORBITOLITES. 


After  this  I  came  into  possession  of  some  specimens  which  had 
been  preserved  in  spirit,  and  which  showed  what  the  animal  body 
occupying  these  discs  really  is.  Here  (Fig.  5)  we  have  its  com- 
posite sarcodic  body,  belonging  to  that  class  to  which  Dujardin 
gave  the  name  of  Rhizopoda.  In  the  first  place  there  is  a  primordial 
segment,  a,  surrounded  by  one  turn  of  a  large  segment,  b,  forming  an 
imperfect  spiral ;  this  giving  off  a  sort  of  root-stock,  or  stolon,  from 
which  are  budded  off  rows  of  sub-segments,  that  enclose  the 
primordial  chambers.  Each  circle  of  sub-segments,  connected  by  its 
annular  stolon,  corresponds  with  the  segment  of  an  ordinary  Fora- 
minifer  ;  it  is  connected  by  radial  stolons  with  the  next  annulus  ;  and 
the  radial  stolons  of  the  last-formed  annulus  issued  as  pseudopodia 
from  the  marginal  pores  of  the  shelly  disk.  The  simple  disposition 
of  sub-segments  in  one  plane,  occupying  the  single  layer  of  chamber- 
lets  in  the  minute  0.  marginalis,  undergoes  a  very  curious  modifi- 
cation in  the  complex  structure  of  the  large  0.  complanata,  recent 
and  fossil.  In  this  there  are  two  rows  of  surface-planes,  separated 
by  an  intermediate  plane,  the  chamberlets  of  which  have  a 
columnar  structure   (Fig.  6).     The  successive  rows  communicate 


Fig.  6. 

Portion  of  Sarcodic  body  of  Complex  Orbitolite : — a  a',  b  b',  upper  and  lower 
annular  cords  of  two  concentric  zones ;  c  c,  upper  layer  of  superficial 
sub-segments ;  d  d,  the  lower  layer ;  e  e  and  e'  e\  intermediate  columnar 
sub-segments  of  the  two  zones,  giving  off  oblique  stolon-processes. 

by  a  number  of  oblique  threads  ;  and  it  is  through  the 
threads  which  issue  from  the  marginal  pores  of  the  outermost  ring, 
that  the  body  receives  its    nourishment.     In  the  living  condition 


W.     B.    CARPENTER    ON    THE    STRUCTURE    OF    ORB1TOLITES.        95 


the  sarcodic  substance  is  almost  liquid,  and  there  is  a  continual 
circulation  or  interchange  taking  place  ;  but  there  is  no  dif- 
ferentiation of  function  that  I  can  find.  The  Red  Sea  specimens 
having  two  rows  of  marginal  pores,  furnish  a  curious  intermediate 
condition  (Fig.  9)  ;  having  a  single  annular  stolon  in  each  ring,  but 


Fig.  7. 
Diagram  illustrating  the  Pedigree  of  the  Complex  type  of  Orbitolite. 

1.  Simple  undivided  spire  of  Cornuspira. 

2.  Partially  interrupted  spire  of  Spiroloculina. 

3.  Spire  of  Peneroplis,  divided  by  partitions  into  chambers. 

4.  Spire  of  Orbiculina,  its  chambers  divided  into  rows  of  chamberlets. 

5.  Disk  of  "  simple  "  Orbitolite,  showing  first-formed  spire,  surrounded  by 
concentric  rings. 

6.  Disk  of  "  duplex  "  Orbitolite,  showing  earlier  passage  from  spiral  to 
cyclical  plan  of  growth. 

7.  Central  portion  of  disk  of  "  complex  "  Orbitolite,  in  which  the  cham- 
bered nucleus  alone  shows  an  abbreviated  spire,  the  very  first  row  of 
chamberlets  forming  a  complete  ring. 


96    W.  B.  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  ORBITOLITE8. 

each  ring  being  connected  with  the  next  by  two  rows  of 
radial  stolons,  instead  of  one.  Now,  seeing  that  the  most  highly 
developed  form  often  begins  life  in  the  simplest  form,  then  passes 
through  the  intermediate  form,  and  then  undergoes  this  separa- 
tion of  the  superficial  plane  by  an  intermediate  plane — the  next 
stage  being  that  the  annular  canal  is  split  (as  it  were)  into  two — 
I  came  to  the  conclusion  that  there  was  no  actual  specific  distinc- 
tion between  the  simple  and  the  complex  types,  but  that  they  were 
merely  stages  of  development  of  the  same  organism,  which  in 
tropical  seas  undergoes  a  higher  development  than  in  colder 
regions. 

Having  investigated  this  subject  very  carefully,  I  made  it,  in 
1856,  the  basis  of  a  disquisition   on  the   Range  of  Variation  of 


Fig.  8. 
Disk  of  Simple  Type  of  Orbitolite  (0.  marginalis). 

1.  Surface  of  disk,  showing  later  growth  of  concentric  rings  of  chamber- 
lets  around  a  first-formed  spire. 

2.  Central  portion  enlarged. 

3.  Edge  of  disk,  showing  single  row  of  marginal  pores. 

4.  Vertical  section,  showing  succession  of  chamberlets  communicating 
with  each  other  radially  by  single  passages  in  the  annular  partitions,  and 
laterally  by  the  annular  canals,  whose  sections  are  seen  as  dark  spots. 


W.  B.  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  ORBITOLITE8. 


97 


Species.  Mr.  Darwin  had  not  at  that  time  given  his  views  to  the 
world ;  but  when  he  read  the  conclusions  I  had  arrived  at,  he  said 
that  he  not  only  agreed  with  them,  but  was  disposed  to  go  a  good 
deal  further.  It  was  by  this  previous  enquiry  that  I  found  myself 
prepared,  when  the  "  Origin  of  Species  "  was  published,  to  accept 
all  its  main  positions  as  scientifically  tenable. 

The  next  stage  was  made  in  the  course  of  the  Porcupine  expedi- 
tion in  1869,  when,  from  1,200  fathoms'  depth  off  the  west  coast 


Fig.  9. 

1.  Disk  of  Duplex  Type  of  Orbitolite  (0.  duplex). 

2.  Edge  of  disk,  showing  double  row  of  marginal  pores. 

3.  Central  portion  of  sarcode  body  : — a,  primordial  segment ;  b,  circum- 
ambient segment,  budding  off  a  half-ring  of  sub-segments,  from  which 
complete  rings  are  afterwards  formed. 

4.  Portion  of  the  sarcodic  body  of  one  ring  ;  a  aJ  and  b  b1,  the  two  halves 
of  the  columnar  sub-segments  in  connection  with  c  c',  the  annular  cord ; 
from  this  are  given  off  the  pairs  of  stolon-processes  d  d',  d  d',  which  con- 
nect it  with  the  sub-segments  of  the  next  annulus. 


98 


W.  B.  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  ORBITOLITE8. 


of  Ireland,  some  extremely  thin  Orbitoline  disks  were  obtained, 
about  the  size  of  a  fourpenny  piece.  Although  they  were  nearly  all 
broken,  it  was  very  interesting  to  find  them  presenting  unmistakable 
evidence  of  a  Milioline  origin.  I  have  thus  been  able  to  trace 
the  development  of  the  Orbitoline  type  along  a  series  of  forms, 
beginning  with  the  simple  undivided  Cornuspira,  a  flat  shell  very 
like  a  Peneroplis,  but   without   any   division   into    chambers;  the 


%6 


Fig.  10. 
Structure  of  Shelly  Disk  of  Orbitolites  complanata, 

1.  Edge  of  disk,  showing  multiple  series  of  marginal  pores. 

2.  Vertical  section,  showing  two  superficial  planes  of  chamberlets,  sepa- 
rated by  intermediate  columnar  structure. 

3.  Internal  Structure : — a,  superficial  chamberlets ;  b  b,  columnar 
chamberlets  of  intermediate  layer ;  c,  floors  of  superficial  chamberlets, 
showing  the  opening  at  each  end  into  the  annular  gallery  beneath;  d, 
annular  galleries  cut  transversely;  d'  d",  annular  galleries  laid  open  longi- 
tudinally; e  e,ff,  oblique  stolon  passages  intermediate  layer. 


W.    B.    CARPENTER    ON    THE    STRUCTURE    OF    ORBITOLITES.         99 

next  stage  corresponds  with  the  Milioline  Spiroloculina,  the  spire 
being  constricted  at  intervals  by  imperfect  partitions  ;  and  this  passes 
into  the  Peneropline  stage,  in  which  the  partitions  are  numerous 
and  complete  (Fig.  7).  The  next  stage  is  that  of  the  Orbiculina, 
found  in  tropical  seas  so  abundantly  that  nearly  every  handful  of 
sand  contains  them  ;  in  which  the  principal  chambers  are  divided 
into  chamberlets,  and  the  spiral  plan  of  growth  gives  place  to  the 
cyclical.  This  brings  us  to  the  Orbitolite  itself ;  and  of  my  previous 
strong  impression  that  it  was  developed  from  the  simpler  Milio- 
lines,  I  had  a  complete  confirmation  in  the  beautiful  deep  sea  form 
0.  tenuissima. 

When  the  Challenger  expedition  brought  home  its  results,  Sir 
Wyville  Thomson  placed  in  my  hands  a  jar  of  Orbitolites  from  the 
reefs  of  Fiji  ;  and  I  undertook  to  work  out  this  collection,  thinking 
that  so  large  a  gathering  from  one  locality  might  enable  me  to 
throw  some  more  light  on  a  good  many  questions  of  development.  . 
.  .  (The  specimens  exhibited  upon  the  table  form  a  complete  series 
in  illustration  of  Orbitolite  structure  ;  the  largest  of  them  showing 
a  remarkable  exuberance,  in  the  shape  of  a  number  of  curious  out- 
growths.) I  found  that  this  collection,  when  sorted  out,  fell 
naturally  into  very  distinct  groups.  First  there  was  a  remarkable 
series  of  specimens  as  simple  in  their  plan  of  structure  as  the 
Mediterranean  0.  marginalis,  but  very  much  larger  (Fig.  8)  ;  then 
of  the  duplex  Hed  Sea  form  (Fig.  9) ;  and  then  of  the  large  0. 
complanata  (Figs.  4,  10).  The  question  of  species  then  came  up 
again ;  and  with  this  large  collection  I  saw  at  once  that  each  of 
these  types  had  its  own  size,  plan  of  growth,  and  general  aspect,  so 
that  it  was  very  easy  to  distinguish  between  them  ;  and  yet  a  most 
complex  form  might  show  that  it  had  passed  through  the  grades 
of  the  simple  and  the  duplex  (Fig.  11).  Both  these  show  a 
survival,  in  their  early  growth,  of  the  original  spiral  plan  (Fig. 
7,5,6) ;  but  in  the  most  typical  specimens  of  the  large  0.  compla- 
nata, the  plan  is  circular  from  the  very  commencement  (Fig.  7,7). 
Another  point  of  interest  was  that  the  fossil  forms  stopped  in  an 
incomplete  stage  ;  for  it  was  easy  to  see  in  vertical  sections  of  fossil 
forms,  that  the  continuity  of  the  superficial  and  the  intermediate 
chamberlets  was  maintained  throughout  (Fig.  11,  e,  e)  ;  while  in  the 
large  recent  type  they  are  disconnected  by  a  shifting  to  half  the 
breadth  of  a  ring  (f,f\  f2  f3).  In  recent  specimens  from  other 
localities  I  have  found  the  earlier  condition   shown  in  the   fossil 


100  W.  B,  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  ORBITOLITES, 


# B    w 


"> 


TO 


s 


&11 


In1 


igp! 


in.       „-?  mp 


^ 


Fig.  11. 

Diagrammatic    representation    of    the 
transition  from  the  "  simple  "  to  the  "  com- 
plex "  plan  of  growth,  as  shown  in  vertical 
section,  from  the  primordial  and  circum- 
ambient chambers  (c  p  cf)  of  the  centre, 
to  the  margin,  whose  pores  are  shown  at 
mp.     The  chambers  m,  m1,  m2,  m3,  rrfi,  are 
all   formed    upon    the    simple    type  (as  in 
Fig.  8,  4) ;  and  show  at  ac,  ac,  the  cross 
sections  of  the  annular  canals,  which  con- 
nect all  the  chamberlets  of  one  ring,  and 
at  r,  r,  r,  the   radial  passages  connecting 
the    successive    annuli.       The    chambers 
d,    dl,  d2,  are    formed   upon   the    duplex 
type ;    the  annular  cannls   ac,   ac,  being 
single,  but   the    radial    passages    r  being 
double.      The  chambers  e,   e1,  show  two 
annular  canals   ac,  ac',  between   which   is 
interposed   a  columnar   chamberlet,  con- 
tinuous with  the  two  superficial  chamber- 
lets  s  s.     In    the    chambers  f,/1,/2,/*, 
to  the  margin,   which   are  all  formed  on 
the    fully-developed     complex     type,    the 
upper   and  under  superficial    chamberlets 
s  s,  s'  S',   are  completely  cut  off  from  the 
intermediate  columnar  portion,  and,  by  a 
shifting  of  their  position,  each  is  made  to 
communicate  with  two  annular  canals. 


W.  R.  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  ORBITOLITEB.   101 

forms  to  be  still  preserved.  And  thus  we  have  in  this  group  an 
illustration  of  the  principle,  that  if  all  genetic  series  were  pre- 
served, we  should  find  no  fixed  boundary  lines  between  species,  but 
that  every  form  would  be  connected  with  other  forms  by  grada- 
tional  transitions. 

Another  lesson  now  comes  in.  I  have  always  been  one  of  those 
who  could  not  accept  the  doctrine  of  " natural  selection"  as  a 
vera  causa.  It  is  based  on  the  idea  of  aimless  or  casual  variations, 
of  which  some  prove  more  suited  than  others  to  become  established 
permanently.  I  never  could  feel  that  this  gave  any  scientific  ac- 
count of  the  "  origin  of  species,"  because  it  offered  no  explanation 
of  the  causes  of  the  variations  by  which  the  "  fittest "  came  into 
existence.  Now  here  is  a  case  in  which  we  have  at  the  present  time 
the  entire  series  surviving,  and  this  under  the  same  conditions  and 
in  the  same  dredging  ;  and  since,  to  the  eye  of  anyone  but  a  skilled 
Foraminiferalist,  a  specimen  of  the  smaller  type  would  not  be  dis- 
tinguishable from  a  young  specimen  of  the  larger,  I  cannot  think 
that  the  creatures  that  prey  upon  them  would  know  them  apart. 


Fig.  12. 
New  disk  of    Orbitolite  formed  round  fragment  of  previous  disk. 

There  is  here,  therefore,  no  room  for  "  natural  selection."  To 
my  mind  everything  is  indicative  of  development  upon  a  deter- 
minate plan,  from  the  spiral  to  the  excentric,  then  to  the  less  ex- 
centric,  and  then  to  the  concentric  form  ;  with  a  uniformly  in- 
creasing complication  of  the  internal  structure. 


102        W.    B.    CARPENTER    ON    THE   STRUCTURE    OF    ORBITOLITES. 

One  more  point  is  the  very  remarkable  reparation  which  takes 
place  when  these  disks  are  injured.  Sometimes  they  may  be  nibbled 
by  Fishes,  Crustaceans,  or  Echinoderms  ;  or  they  get  broken  by  the 
dashing  of  the  waves  :  and  when  this  occurs,  there  is  always  a  curious 
tendency  towards  the  restoration  of  the  circular  form  by  an  exuda- 
tion of  protoplasm,  which  forms  a  complete  ring  round  the  broken 
edge,  and  subsequently  becomes  surrounded  by  more  regular  annuli. 
A  mere  marginal  fragment  is  quite  sufficient  to  be  the  centre  of  such 
a  new  growth,  reproducing  a  perfect  disc  (Fig.  12) ;  this  reparation 
always  taking  place  on  the  perfected  type,  just  as  Sir  James  Paget 
has  observed  that  repair  always  takes  place  in  accordance  with  the 
existing  state  of  the  animal.  I  cannot  think  it  is  possible  to  resist 
the  conviction  that  this  reparation  takes  place  on  a  plan,  and  is  not 
the  result  of  mere  casualty. 

These  Orbitolites  seem  to  be  the  culmination  of  the  Porcellaneous 
series  of  Foraminifera,  not  leading  up  to  anything  else.  It  is 
my  belief  that  they  form  the  top  story  of  these  simple  sarcodic 
forms. 

The  results  of  this  inquiry,  I  think,  will  show  you  the  value  of 
taking  up  a  subject,  and  working  it  out  thoroughly  ;  and  I  hope  this 
lesson  will  not  be  lost  on  many  now  present.  Before  entering 
upon  such  a  special  inquiry,  however,  everyone  should  go  through 
a  general  course  of  instruction.  It  is  now  admitted  that  in  every 
profession  requiring  the  exercise  of  mental  power,  general  training 
is  of  great  importance  to  begin  with  ;  and  in  the  case  of  anyone 
desiring  to  follow  up  some  special  object  of  microscopic  study,  I 
would  recommend  such  a  general  preliminary  course.  Having 
made  himself  acquainted  with  the  microscopic  characters  of  any 
group  as  a  whole  (using  for  the  purpose,  when  suitable,  the  bino- 
cular as  well  as  the  monocular),  I  would  then  recommend  the 
student  to  take  up  some  special  subject,  the  detailed  pursuit  of 
which  will  be  found  to  open  out  lines  of  thought  and  inquiry  of  far 
more  value  to  himself  and  to  science  than  the  sort  of  dilettante 
work  which  is  still  so  often  indulged  in.  Thirty  years  ago,  when 
Schleiden  brought  out  his  great  work  on  Botany,  he  supposed  that 
there  were  no  good  microscopes  in  England,  because  so  little  had 
been  done  in  this  country  for  the  elucidation  of  vegetable  structure 
and  life-history  ;  but  the  fact  was,  we  had  here  the  best  micro- 
scopes of  the   day,  the   fault  lying  with  the  workers.     I   rejoice, 


W.  B.  CARPENTER  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OE  ORBITOLITES.    103 

however,  to  know  that  there  is  now  rising  up  among  us  a  great 
body  of  earnest  workers ;  and  that  especially  at  Cambridge, 
under  Professor  Michael  Foster,  and  at  Oxford,  under  Professor 
Moseley,  many  young  men  are  proving  most  successful  searchers 
in  these  fields  of  inquiry.  One  of  the  most  beautiful  results 
attained  hitherto,  has  been  the  demonstration  of  the  continuity 
of  protoplasm  through  the  walls  of  Vegetable  cells.  Several 
observers  are  now  taking  up  the  study  of  Alga?, ;  and  I  would  sug- 
gest to  them  the  special  study  of  a  stage  in  the  life-history  of  Vol- 
vox,  in  which  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  continuity  will  be  dis- 
tinctly traceable.  I  specially  bring  this  before  you,  to  show  that 
there  are  subjects  within  the  reach  of  each  one,  which  are  of  the 
very  greatest  importance  in  Biological  science.  It  used  to  be  held 
that  there  is  a  separate  life  in  each  vegetable  cell  distinct  from  that 
of  every  other  ;  but  Prof.  Burdon  Sanderson,  in  the  course  of  his 
experimental  study  of  the  Sensitive  plant,  was  led  to  the  conclusion 
that  there  is  some  kind  of  physiological  continuity  ;  and  you  may 
now  look  upon  these  connecting  protoplasmic  threads  as  the  equi- 
valent of  nerve-fibres,  each  of  which  contains  an  intensified  proto- 
plasmic thread  passing  through  it  from  one  end  to  the  other.  Sir 
William  Thomson,  in  his  Presidential  Address  to  the  British 
Association,  speaking  of  Comets  in  their  relations  to  Meteorites,  re- 
marked that  such  inquiries  were  the  life-blood  of  Physical  science ; 
and  in  the  same  spirit  I  may  also  say  that  these  microscopic 
discoveries  are  the  life-blood  of  Biology.  I  venture,  therefore,  to 
hope  that  there  are  many  members  of  this  Club  who  will  devote 
their  time  and  ability  to  inquiries  of  similar  interest. 


104 


On  Sexuality  in  the   Zygnemace2E. 
By  F.  Bates. 

(Read,  November  28th,  1884.) 

Mr.  A.  W.  Bennett,  in  an  article  recently  contributed  to  the 
Linnasan  Society,*  seeks  to  maintain  that  there  are  well-marked 
and  certain  characters  whereby  the  sexual  nature  of  the  filaments 
in  the  Zygnemacece  may  be  determined.  The  chief  points  on  which 
he  relies  to  prove  his  case  are — 1.  The  difference  in  size  of  the 
cell;  in  the  Zygnemece,  the  so-considered  germ  cells  being  the 
largest  ;  whilst  in  the  Mesocarpece  the  contrary  is  the  case.  2. 
That  the  portion  of  the  conjugating  canal  contributed  by  the  germ 
cell  is  shorter  and  wider  than  that  contributed  by  the  sperm  cell. 
3.  That  the  protoplasmic  contents  of  the  cells  always  travel  in  one 
direction  : — that  is,  that  in  scalariform  conjugation  the  contents 
of  the  cells  of  one  thread  invariably  pass  over  into  the  cells  of  the 
other  thread  with  which  it  is  conjugating ;  and  4.  That  in 
Mesocarpus  the  spore,  which  is  formed  in  the  conjugating  canal, 
never  occupies  its  centre,  except  in  such  cases  where  the  spore  is 
large  enough  to  occupy  the  whole  of  that  space.  He  also  regards 
this  production  of  the  spore  in  the  conjugating  canal  as  exhibiting 
a  more  rudimentary  differentiation  of  the  sexual  elements. 

Many  distinguished  cryptogamists  have,  before  Mr.  Bennett,  de- 
voted much  attention  to  this  question  of  the  sexuality  of  the  threads 
in  these  Algas  (when  such  obvious  facts  as  difference  in  the  size  of 
the  cells,  position  of  the  spores,  &c,  must  have  come  under  their 
notice,  but  were  doubtless  set  aside  as  being  inconstant  and  there- 
fore unreliable),  and  although  none  have  positively  asserted  that 
sexuality  may  not  exist,  with  scarcely  an  exception  it  has  been 
concluded  that  no  safe,  constant,  and  reliable,  sexual  characters, 
which  will  enable  one  to  say  which  is  a  male  and  which  is  a  female 
thread,  or  cell,  are  discernible. 

Mr.  Bennett  states   that  his    observations  have  extended  over 

*  On  "  Keproduction  of  the  Zygnemacese  :  a  contribution  towards  the 
solution  of  the  question,  'Is  it  of  a  sexual  character  ?'"  "Journal  of  the 
Linnjean  Society,"  April,  1884,  Vol.  xx,  No.  130,  pp.  430-9. 


F.  BATES  ON  SEXUALITY  IN  THE  ZYGNEMACE.E.       105 

several  years.  To  prove  this  he  concludes  his  article  by  saying, u  If 
the  mode  of  'lateral'  conjugation  described  by  De  Bary,  Wood, 
and  others  as  taking  place  between  adjacent  cells  of  the  same 
filament  in  Zygnema  and  Spirogyra  be  founded  on  correct  observa- 
tion, all  idea  of  sexuality  of  the  filaments  must  be  abandoned  in 
these  cases."  Now,  to  my  mind,  and  according  to  my  experience, 
this  concluding  remark  effectually  disposes  both  of  Mr.  Bennett's 
conclusions,  and  his  experiences  extending  over  several  years,  for  I 
will  venture  to  affirm  that  if  anyone  will  seriously  commence  the 
collecting  of  these  plants  on  the  2nd  day  of  April,  he  will  be  the 
most  unfortunate  of  Spirogyra  hunters  if  he  does  not  meet  with  at 
least  two  species,  in  which  lateial  conjugation  is  going  on  abun- 
dantly, before  the  ensuing  May-day.  By  the  light  of  my  own 
experience  I  will  now  examine  Mr.  Bennett's  points  seriatim. 
Firstly,  as  to  differences  in  the  sizes  of  the  cells.  If  anyone  will 
take  up  a  descriptive  work  on  the  Zygnemaceo?,  he  will  find  such 
entries  as  : — Sp.  cells  "05  to  "065  mm.  by  2^  to  10  times  longer  ; 
sp.  *032  to  *05  mm.  by  2  to  4  times  longer  ;  sp.  -024  to  "03  mm. 
by  3  to  8  times  longer  ;  '012  to  '015  mm.  by  8  to  16  times  longer. 
And  in  Mesocarpus  sp.  "012  to  *018  mm.  by  5  to  10  times  longer ; 
sp.  -007  to  -015  mm.  by  7  to  12  times  longer;  and  so  on.  Here 
is  variation  enough  in  all  conscience  1  Moreover,  it  has  to  be 
admitted  that  conjugation  must  have  commenced  before  even  a  guess 
can  be  made  as  to  which  is  a  male  and  which  a  female  thread  or 
cell.  Now,  when  we  consider  the  many  curious  changes  which  take 
place  in  the  form,  &c,  of  cells  at  the  time  of  conjugation,  we  must 
needs  be  careful  how  we  draw  conclusions  from  them  on  which  to 
base  a  theory  of  sexuality.  Again,  one  may  find  mixed  in  the 
same  gathering,  of  one  and  the  same  species,  threads  having  the 
spore  cells  cylindrical  and  longer  than  the  spores,  or  swollen  and 
more  or  less  wider  than  the  spores  ;  or  so  abbreviated  that  the 
spores  are  crowded  together  and  placed  sideways,  being  longer 
than  their  cells  ;  these  are  of  very  common  occurrence  in  Spirogyra 
longata,  porticalis,  and  condensata.  Considering  all  these  things, 
then,  how  can  we  place  any  value  or  reliance  on  conclusions  based 
on  an  infinitesimal  increase  in  the  diameter  of  one  cell  over 
another  ?  I  may  further  state  that  I  have  carefully  examined  the 
conjugated  cells  of  Spirogyra  porticalis  (the  species  chiefly  operated 
upon  by  Mr.  Bennett)  and,  where  the  cells  have  preserved  their 
cylindrical  form,  I  have  not  found  any  appreciable  difference  of 


106     F.  BATES  ON  SEXUALITY  IN  THE  ZYGNEMACE.E. 

diameter  ;  as  a  rule  the  two  conjugated  threads  are  equal,  or 
may  vary  to  a  slight  extent  on  either  side.  As  to  the  second 
point,  that  the  portion  of  the  conjugating  canal  contributed  by  the 
so-considered  germ  cell  is  shorter  and  wider  than  that  contributed 
by  the  sperm  cell ;  the  suture  marking  their  point  of  union  will 
consequently  show  nearest  the  spore-containing  cell.  This  con- 
clusion has  evidently  been  arrived  at  from  observations  made  at 
the  early  stage  of  conjugation,  and  before  the  commencement  of 
the  passage  of  the  contents  of  the  one  cell  into  the  other.  At 
this  stage  it  is  true  that  the  tubular  protuberance  put  forth  by  the 
so-considered  sperm  cell  does,  when  it  comes  into  contact  with  the 
opposing  protuberance,  force  slightly  inward  the  opposing  face ; 
but  this  I  take  to  be  but  transitory,  for  afterwards  there  is  doubt- 
less resorption  of  the  opposing  membranes  with  fusion  of  the 
tubular  walls,  so  that  a  perfectly  open  channel  of  communication 
is  formed.  When  this  is  effected,  and  not  till  then,  in  my  ex- 
perience, does  any  passage  of  the  contents  of  the  one  cell  to  the 
other  begin  to  take  place.  Then  also  it  will  be  seen  that  the 
shortening  and  widening  of  the  so-considered  germ-tube  was  only 
due  to  the  temporary  pressure  exercised  upon  it  by  the  sperm-tube  ; 
for,  when  all  is  completed,  the  suture  resulting  from  the  fusion  of 
the  two  portions  will  be  found,  as  a  rule,  in  the  middle ;  although, 
as  might  reasonably  be  expected,  it  is  sometimes  met  with  nearer 
the  one  cell,  and  at  others  nearer  to  the  other.* 

On  point  3.  That  the  protoplasmic  contents  of  the  cells  in  con- 
jugating always  travel  in  one  direction.  It  is  doubtless  the  rule 
that  in  scalariform  conjugation,  the  one  thread  parts  with,  and  the 
other  receives  the  contents  of  the  cells ;  but  this  fact  is  so  over- 
borne by  others  as  to  be  deprived  of  all  its  significance  as  a  test 
for  sexuality.  Spirogyra  orbicularis,  longata,  insignis,  Weberi,  and 
tenuissima,  I  have  found  in  both  scalariform  and  lateral  conjuga- 
tion ;  whilst  it  is  also  a  fact  that  both  forms  of  conjugation  may  be 
going  on  together  in  different  parts  of  the  same  threads.  To  my 
mind  this  settles  the  question  ;  for  it  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  Mr.  Bennett  abandons  all  idea  of  sexuality  in  threads  con- 
jugating laterally  ;  and  yet,  really,  this  form  of  conjugating  is 
nearly  as  common  as  the  scalariform.      It  is  strange  that   Mr. 


*The  appearance  produced  -when  looking  down  through  the  conjugating 
tube  (when  fractured  at  the  suture)  is  due,  iu  my  opinion,  to  its  unequal 
diameter  ;  it  is  rarely  perfectly  cylindrical  :  similar  to  what  is  seen  in  the 
"  bordered  <pits  "  in  the  woody  tissues  of  the  Pines. 


F.    BATES    ON    SEXUALITY    IN    THE    ZYGNEAIACE.E.  107 

Bennett  has  not  been  able  to  meet  with  it  during  his  observations. 
Lastly,  on  point  4.  as  to  that  form  of  conjugation  in  which  the 
Zygospore  is  formed  in  the  conjugating  canal.  Mr.  Bennett  states 
that  the  spore  never  occupies  the  middle  of  this  canal,  except  in  cases 
where,  from  its  large  size,  it  fills  the  whole  of  that  space  ;  otherwise 
it  is  always  formed  at  one  side,  and  at  that  side  nearest  the  so-con- 
sidered female  cell,  which  he  also  states  to  be  constantly  shorter  than 
the  supposed  male  cell.  I  am  prepared  to  admit  (and  to  give  him 
credit  for  this  observation)  that  the  spore  is  mostly  situated  at  one 
side  of  the  conjugating  canal ;  but  it  is  so  frequently  otherwise — or 
situated  at  the  centre — as  to  destroy  any  value  the  observation  might 
seem  to  have,  in  helping  to  determine  the  sexuality  of  the  cells.  As 
to  the  spore  when  lateral  being  always  adjacent  to  a  short  female 
cell,  this  is  still  less  to  be  depended  upon.  I  find  it  subject  to  great 
variability.  It  is  not  easy  to  ascertain  the  exact  position  of  the  spore, 
and  to  accurately  measure  the  mother-cells  in  these  delicate  plants  ; 
the  conjugated  threads  being  so  involved  that  it  is  only  here  and 
there  one  can  get  a  view  of  the  two  cells,  and  the  spore,  accurately 
in  focus  at  the  same  time.  Out  of  a  number  of  such  that  presented 
themselves  in  a  position  to  be  accurately  viewed  and  measured,  I 
selected  seven  in  which  the  spore  was  lateral,  and  seven  in  which  it 
was  central,  and  measured  all  the  cells.  I  found  that  in  the  former 
case  the  cells  were,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  longest  in  those  con- 
sidered by  Mr.  Bennett  to  be  males,  these  varying  in  length  from 
•091  to  -13  mm.  ;  whilst  the  so-considered  female  cells  varied  in 
length  from  *078  to  -104  mm.  But  I  also  met  with  so-considered 
female  cells  which  were  longer  than  their  attached  male  cells  in  the 
proportion  of  from  5  to  6  given  spaces  to  4,  or  an  average  dif- 
ference of  *04  mm.,  the  female  cells  being  longest  by  those  figures. 
In  those  cases  where  the  spore  was  central,  I  found  a  great,  or  even 
greater,  difference  in  the  comparative  length  of  the  two  attached 
cells.  In  one  case  a  cell  was  exactly  double  the  length  of  the  other 
cell  to  which  it  was  yoked.  So  here  again  we  are  met  with  such 
an  utter  want  of  uniformity  as  to  baffle  all  attempts  to  determine 
the  sexuality  of  the  cells.  A  figure  is  given  by  the  author  of  a 
spore  of  a  Spirogyra  germinating  in  a  direction  totally  opposed  to 
all  previous  experience.  I  do  not  deny  that  he  may  have  seen  a 
spore  germinating  after  the  fashion  figured,  but  it  must  most  cer- 
tainly be  regarded  as  most  exceptional  and  abnormal. 

Mr.  Bennett  further  has  made  the  remarkable  discoverv  that  the 
Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  11.  k 


108     F.  BATES  ON  SEXUALITY  IN  THE  ZYGNEMACE^. 

form  of  conjugation,  as  it  exists  typically  in  the  genus  Mesocarpus, 
exhibits  a  more  rudimentary  differentiation  of  the  sexual  elements 
than  exists  in  the  Zygnemece.  This  seems  to  me  most  astounding, 
for  he  cannot  be  ignorant  of  the  fact  that  De  Bary,  Pringsheim, 
Wittrock,  and  others  who  have  closely  and  patiently  observed 
all  the  phenomena  of  conjugation  in  these  forms,  have  been  led  to 
separate  Mesocarpus  and  the  allied  genera  from  the  Zygnemece,  and 
to  elevate  them  into  a  distinct  sub-family — the  Mesocarpece,  owing 
to  the  more  advanced  type  of  sexual  development  they  exhibit. 


109 


Notes  on  a  Slide,  showing  Ten  Sections  of  the  Oral  disc 
and  Tentacles  of  Cerianthus  Solitarius. 

By  Arthur  Pennington. 

{Read  November  28th,  1884.) 

Upon  the  slide  accompanying  these  notes  is  a  series  of  longitu- 
dinal sections  of  the  oral  disc  of  C.  solitarius,  carried  down  so  as  to 
show  the  septa  and  a  portion  of  the  body-wall.  The  sections  are 
cut  at  right  angles  to  the  diameter  of  the  animal,  a  mode  of  catting 
which  possesses  the  advantage  of  showing  more  than  would  a  longi- 
tudinal section  cut  in  any  other  manner. 

Eecent  observers  have  separated  the  Cerianthidce  from  the  other 
anemones  and  made  them  into  a  distinct  family  or  tribe,  in  conse- 
quence, mainly,  of  the  fact  that  the  septa  or  mesenteries,  which  are 
such  important  features  in  the  organisation  of  the  Zoantharice,  are 
not  paired  or  arranged  in  cycles  as  in  the  Actinia?,  nor  confined  to 
the  limited  number  of  eight  as  in  the  Edwardsice. 

There  are  only  three  defined  species  of  the  genus  Cerianthus,  one 
of  which,  C.  Lloydii,  is  found  in  England.  The  specimen  of  C. 
Solitarius,  from  which  the  sections  on  this  side  were  cut,  I  obtained 
from  the  Naples  Zoological  Station. 

The  specimen  was  stained  with  hasniatoxylin,  and  mounted,  after 
the  sections  were  cut,  in  Canada  balsam.  Before  cutting  the  sec- 
tions the  animal  was  imbedded  in  paraffin. 

The  sections  on  the  slide  exhibit  clearly  the  division  of  the  body 
structure  of  the  anemones  into  the  three  layers,  ectoderm,  meso- 
derm, and  endoderm.  The  deeply  coloured  central  layer  is  the 
mesoderm.  The  layer  exterior  to  this,  and  evidently  of  more  com- 
plicated structure,  is  the  ectoderm,  and  the  internal  layer  is  the 
endoderm.  The  septa  will  be  seen  to  possess  only  two  of  these 
layers,  namely,  the  central  mesoderm  lined  on  each  side  with  endo- 
dermal  cells  ;   the  tentacles  possess  all  the  layers. 

The  ectoderm  may  be  clearly  made  out  to  contain  three  distinct 
layers,  namely,  epithelial,  nervous,  and  muscular.  The  epithelial 
cells  form  the  broadest  layer  ;  next  the  nervous  layer  may  be  seen 
as  a  fine  band  of  lighter  cells,  and  deeper  still  lies  the  muscular  layer, 


110  a.  pennington's  notes  on  a  slide. 

which,  in  the  oral  disc,  is  not  well  developed,  but  which  in  the  body- 
wall  forms  a  broad,  well  defined,  powerful  muscular  system. 

The  epithelial  cells  contain  three  series  of  elements— ciliated, 
stinging,  and  glandular.  In  the  tentacles  the  stinging  cells,  or 
cnidcB,  may  be  easily  seen,  as  they  are  both  large  and  numerous. 
They  are  oval  in  shape,  and  each  contains  a  spirally  coiled  ecthor- 
aeum.  The  gland  cells  are  very  numerous  in  the  body- wall,  where 
they  are  often  filled  with  granular  or  colouring  matter. 

The  nervous  layer  consists  of  an  interlacing  network  of  fibrillse, 
with  here  and  there  ganglion  cells. 

The  muscular  layer  is  the  most  important  layer  in  the  Cerian- 
thidce.  In  the  tentacles  the  elements  are  isolated,  but  in  the  oral 
disc  it  forms  a  distinct  stratum,  which,  in  the  body-wall,  becomes,  as 
stated  above,  broad  and  well  defined.  The  longitudinal  fibres  com- 
posing the  stratum  in  the  body- wall  may  be  distinctly  seen  in  the 
slide.  These  longitudinal  muscular  fibres  are  supported  by  a  thin 
membrane,  which  springs  from  the  mesoderm. 

The  Cerianthi  are  able  to  secrete,  or  rather  to  form,  an  external 
sheath  or  protective  case  of  mucus  mud,  nematocysts,  spicules,  &c, 
into  which,  when  alarmed,  they  can  retire.  The  powerful  arrange- 
ment of  longitudinal  muscles  in  the  ectoderm  of  the  body-wall  is 
necessary  for  this  purpose. 

The  mesoderm  may  be  distinctly  seen  below  the  muscular  layer, 
and  it  will  be  seen  to  form,  as  it  were,  the  basis  or  skeleton  of  the 
body,  as  it  runs  through  body-wall,  oral  disc,  tentacles,  septa,  and 
oesophagus. 

The  endoderm  contains  two  series  of  elements — muscular  and 
epithelial. 

Amongst  the  anemones  generally  the  muscular  layer  of  the  endo- 
derm is  well  developed  ;  the  extraordinary  breadth  of  ectodermal 
longitudinal  muscles,  as  seen  in  the  slide,  being  peculiar  to  the 
Cerianthidce. 

The  muscular  layer  of  the  endoderm  will  be  seen  in  the  slide, 
lying  immediately  below  the  mesoderm. 

The  endodermal  epithelial  layer  may  be  clearly  made  out,  lining 
the  whole  of  the  interior  of  the  body.  The  separate  cells,  if  isolated, 
would  be  found  furnished  with  a  tuft  of  delicate  cilia. 

In  the  accompanying  slide  the  layers  above  described  can  all  be 
seen,  and,  in  addition  to  the  sections  of  the  oral  disc,  a  number 
of  sections  of  the  tentacles  will  be  found,  some  cut  transversely  and 
others  longitudinally. 


Ill 


On  the  Larva  of  an  Ascidian    found    at    the  Land's  End. 

By  A.  D.  Michael. 

(Read  November  28th,  1884.) 
PLATE    V. 

Gentlemen, — I  am  going  to  ask  you  to  bear  with  me  to-night,  as 
you  have  often  done  before,  while  I  occupy  a  few  minutes  of  your 
time  with  some  remarks  which  do  not  contain  any  new  or  original 
matter  whatever  ;  but  when  I  find  some  object  in  microscopical 
biology  which  I  think  interesting,  it  usually  strikes  me  that  others 
who  have  similar  tastes  may  be  of  the  same  opinion  ;  and,  there- 
fore, if  I  succeed  in  securing  what  seem  to  me  to  be  fairly  good 
preparations  of  it,  and  if  similar  slides  are  not  often  before  the 
Club,  I  like  to  show  them  to  you.  I  think  that  merely  placing 
them  on  the  stage  of  a  microscope  on  the  table  is,  after  all,  a  poor 
mode  of  exhibition,  as  the  points  of  interest  are  most  likely  to  be 
missed,  unless  a  few  words  be  said  calling  attention  to  them. 

Last  autumn,  whilst  searching  for  marine  life  in  my  favourite 
hunting-ground  at  the  Land's  End,  I  came  across  several  groups  of 
compound- Ascidians  which  appeared  to  me  worthy  of  notice,  from 
the  fact  that  there  were  eggs  and  larvae  in  all  stages  of  development, 
as  well  as  adults.  I  mounted  some  of  these  for  microscopical 
examination,  and  three  preparations  are  under  the  microscopes  to- 
night, viz. : — 

No.  1.  An  egg  with  the  larva  fully  developed  and  ready  to  hatch. 
Stained  with  hsematoxalin. 

No.  2.  A  mature  larva  stained  with  hsematoxalin. 

No.  3.  A  mature  larva  slightly  stained  with  picro-carmine. 

The  specimens  belong  to  the  genus  Leptoclinwn,  and  the  species 
is,  I  think,  either  gelatinosum  or  maculosum.  The  Tunicata  of  this 
genus  form  thin  films  coating  stones,  lammariae,  &c,  the  individuals 
being  imbedded  in  a  jelly-like  mass  as  in  Botryllus,  but  they  have 
not  the  beautiful  stellate  arrangement  round  a  common  anus,  with 
which  we  are  all  familiar  in  that  genus,  but  are  irregularly  scattered, 


112  A.  D.  MICHAEL  ON  THE  LAEVA  OF 

We  are  not  without  ample  information  on  the  subject  I  am 
speaking  of.  The  anatomy  and  life  history  of  the  larvaa  of  compound- 
Ascidians  has  been  well  worked  out  by  a  number  of  eminent 
biologists,  and  the  literature  on  the  subject  is  copious.  I  will  only 
mention  two  works,  viz.,  Milne-Edwards'  "  Observations  sur  les 
Ascidies-composees  des  cotes  de  la  Manche  "  (1844)  ;  and  Eeichert's 
memoir,  "  Zur  Anatomie  des  Schwanzes  der  Ascidien-Larven 
Botryllus  violaceus  ")  in  "  Abhandl.  d.  K.  Akad.  der  Wiss.  Berlin," 
1875.  The  first-named  is  a  classical  work  forming  the  ground-work 
of  much  of  our  present  knowledge  of  the  subject,  and  illustrated  by 
numerous  figures,  one  of  which  is  so  like  the  specimen  of  the  fully 
developed  egg  with  its  larva  ready  to  escape,  which  is  now  on  the 
club-microscope,  that  anyone  might  suppose  that  Milne-Edwards 
had  made  his  drawing  from  the  specimen  now  before  you.  The 
second  is  an  exhaustive  treatise  on  a  more  special  subject,  and  is 
illustrated  by  magnificent  plates,  which  leave  nothing  to  be  desired. 

The  larval  Ascidian  is  a  somewhat  tadpole-shaped,  free-swimming 
creature,  having  a  nearly  globular  body,  somewhat  truncated  in  front, 
and  having  three  conspicuous  suckers,  mostly  cupnliform,  at  its 
anterior  edge  ;  behind  these  there  is  usually  a  circle  of  outgrowths, 
possibly  tentacular.  Further  back  again  is  the  ojDening  of  the 
branchial  sac,  and  at  one  side  is  a  large  and  conspicuous  eye-spot. 
Behind  the  body  comes  a  long  tail,  many  times  the  length  of  the 
body,  and  very  singular  in  formation.  It  is  enveloped  externally  in 
a  colourless  and  structureless  cuticular  test,  which  surrounds,  the 
more  or  less  circular  central  portion,  and  is  produced  so  as  to 
form  two  broad  flat  bands  set  on  edge,  one  on  the  upper  and  the 
other  on  the  under-side  of  the  tail,  which  run  all  along  it  like  the 
fins  of  a  sole,  but  are  much  broader  in  proportion.  This  test  also 
extends  behind  the  muscular  portion  of  the  tail  and  there  expands 
a  little,  and  is  marked  with  diverging  rays,  so  that  it  has  a  certain 
resemblance  in  form  to  the  tail  of  the  sole.  Within  the  test  is  a 
layer  composed  of  clearly-marked  longitudinal  rows  of  large 
nucleated  cells.  There  are  usually  eight  rows  of  these  cells  in 
Botryllus,  but  in  the  species  I  am  now  showing  to  you  there  seem  to 
me  to  be  only  six.  The  central  portion  of  the  tail  is  a  cellular, 
rod-like  body. 

The  larva  swims  with  a  rapid,  somewhat  wriggling  motion,  by 
means  of  quick  lateral  strokes  and  undulations  of  the  tail,  but  its 
free-swimming  life  is  short,  usually  only  a  few  hours.     It   then 


AN    ASCIDIAN    FOUND    AT    THE    LAND'S    END.  113 

attaches  itself  by  its  anterior  suckers  to  some  solid  object,  and  be- 
comes permanently  fixed.  The  muscular  portion  of  the  tail  and  of 
the  anterior  projections  becomes  absorbed  into  the  general  body- 
substance,  as  a  tadpole's  tail  does  ;  the  structureless  test  of  the  tail 
becomes  detached,  either  whole  or  in  pieces ;  and  the  body  develops 
into  a  mature  Ascidian. 

I  may  remind  you  that  the  special  interest  of  the  Ascidian-larva 
lies  in  the  tail,  as  many  biologists  of  the  greatest  eminence  have 
considered  that  the  central  axial  rod  of  which  I  have  spoken  is 
neither  more  nor  less  than  the  lowest  representative  of  the  chorda 
dorsalis  of  Vertebrates.  It  has  been  stated  to  resemble  the 
notochord  in  giving  insertion  by  its  sheath  to  muscles,  which  are 
said  to  hold  a  position  with  regard  to  the  nervous  system  similar  to 
those  of  the  Vertebrata.  The  nervous  system  has  been  stated  to 
be  developed  in  a  dorsal  cavity,  as  in  Vertebrates,  and  to  be 
divided  by  the  axial  rod  from  the  viceral  canal  below.  The 
radiating  structure  of  the  terminal  portion  of  the  caudal  test  has 
been  compared  to  the  rays  in  the  tails  of  young  fishes,  and  the 
perforated  branchial  sac  to  the  perforated  and  dilated  pharynx 
of  Amphioxus.  These  views  have  been  strongly  held  by 
Kowalewsky  *  and  KupfTer,  f  and  for  these  reasons  among 
others,  they,  and  many  able  naturalists  and  anatomists 
have  held  that  the  Ascidians  are  more  closely  allied  to 
the  Vertebrata  than  any  of  the  remaining  forms  of  invertebrate 
animals.  These  views  have  been  denied,  either  in  whole  or  in  part, 
by  men  of  such  attainments  as  Mecznikow,  Giard,  |  Von  Baer  § 
and  others,  and  the  points  must  probably  be  considered  unsettled, 
and  I  do  not  wish  to  express  any  opinion  upon  them  ;  but  certainly 
the  fact  that  many  of  the  highest  authorities  have  considered 
the  Ascidian-larvee  as  the  allies  of  the  lower  Vertebrates  lends 
great  additional  interest  to  those  minute  creatures,  and  the  peculiari- 
ties of  structure  which  have  been  thought  worthy  of  prolonged  and 

*  "  Die  Entwickelungsgeschichte  der  einfachen  Ascidien/'  "  Mem,  de 
l'Acad.  Imp.  des  sci.  de  St.  Petersbourg."     1866. 

f  "  Die  Staramverwandschaft  zwischen  Ascidien  und  Wirbelthiere." 
"  Schultze's  Archiv  fur  Mic.  Anat."     1870. 

\  "  Etude  critique  des  travaux  d'einbryogenie  relatifs  a  la  parente  des 
Vertebres  et  des  Tuniciers."  "  Lacaze-Duthier's  Archives  de  Zoologie." 
1872. 

§  "  Entwickelt  sich  die  Larve  der  einfacben  Ascidien  in  der  ersten  Zeit 
nacb  dem  Typus  der  Wirbelthiere  ?  "  "  Mem.  de  l'Akad.  Imp.  des  sci,  de 
St.  Petersbourg."     1873. 


114       ON  THE  LARVA  OF  AN  ASCIDIAN  FOUND  AT  THE  LAND'S  END. 

earnest  investigation  by  many  of  the  best  observers  on  record  will, 
I  hope,  be  sufficient  excuse  for  my  calling  your  attention  to  the 
subject  to-night. 


EXPLANATION  OF  THE  DIAGRAM. 

Rough  diagrammatic  representation  of  the  larva  of  Lejrtoclinum. 

Figures  1  and  2  are  drawn  from  actual  preparations,  but  figures  2  to  4 
inclusive  are  more  or  less  adapted  from,  or  suggested  by,  Reichart's 
figures  of  the  larva  of  Botryllus  violaceous. 

Pig  1. — Egg  containing  a  fully  developed  larva  ready  to  escape. 

Fig  2. — Larva.     The  fin-like  membranous  expansions  of  the  test  of  the 

tail,  being  directed  towards  the    eye    or  downward,  are  not 

seen. 
Fig  3. — Transverse  section  of  the  tail. 

Fig  4. — Longitudinal  section  of  a  portion  of  the  tail  cut  in  a  plane  at 

right-angles  to  the  fin-like  expansions. 

A.— Body. 

B.— Tail. 

a.  External  tunic  and  vitelline  membrane  of  the  egg. 

b.  External  structureless  test  of  the  body. 
b'.  „  „  ,,  of  the  tail. 

C.C.C.     Anterior  cupuliform  suckers. 

d.  Circlet  of  cellular  outgrowths. 

e.  Eye-spot. 

/.     Opening  of  the  branchial  chamber. 

g.     Cells  of  the  body -wall. 

h.  Large  nucleated  cells  of  the  contractile  and  muscular  portion  of 
the  tail,  forming  a  sheath  round  the  central  axis. 

i.     Central  axis  of  the  tail.     (Supposed  chorda  dorsalis). 

h.  Terminal  fin-like  portion  of  the  test  of  the  tail  showing  the  ray- 
like striae. 

I.     Upper  fin-like  longitudinal  expansion  of  the  test  of  the  tail. 

m.    Lower  ditto. 

n.     Gelatinous  substance  of  the  fin-like  expansion. 


dourn.  Q.M.C 


Ser.JL.Vol.  2.P1.V. 


7 


' 


a 


i 


*■&***. 


I 


■ 


■ 


N 


fe 


-n 


A.D.'MicVik'.I  Ael.W.'RVi*!-..  se 


««vrxtiaJtL  5c  L  •  i-itno 


JDia.qi'SLnam  a-t-i  <*      inepj^esentaAion.    of"  the    lsurva,    of 

LEPTOCLINUM. 


115 


PROCEEDINGS. 

October    10th,    1884. — Conversational    Meeting. 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  H.  A.  Crowhurst. 
Mr.  T.  dirties. 
Mr.  W.  I.  Curties. 
Mr.  F.  Enock. 
Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 
Mr.  G.  Hind. 


» 


The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 
Brachionis  urceolaris 
Heliopelta  metii  ... 
Silk  glands  of  Epeira  diadema... 
Anguinaria  spathulata  ... 
Camptoptera  papaveris  ... 
Living  mite  Bdella  sp.   ... 

Head  of  Wasp 

Daphnia    ... 

Larva  of  May  Fly  ...         ...         ... 

Spine  of  Echinus  Heterocentrotus  mammillatus     Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes 

Anther  and  pollen,  Scabiosa  columbaria 

A  large  specimen  of  Eschara  foliacea  from") 

the  Coast  of  Cornwall ...         ) 

Section  of  Jutland  Slate,  showing  diatoms   ... 
Navicida  Lyra  with  a  |  O.  G,    and  diatome- ) 

scope      ...         ...  ) 

Living  PJiysa-fontinalis... 

Diatoms  n.  s.  Rhoicosigma  antillarum..t 

,,         grouped 
T.     S.     Leaf    of    Pinus   Sylvestris   doable 

stninGci   id  •■■  •••  •••  ••• 


\ 


Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 

Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 
Mr.  G.  Sturt. 
Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Mr.  G.  Williams. 


Attendance — Members,  52  ;  Visitors,  4. 


October  24th,  1884. — Ordinary  Meeting. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  A.M.,  A.L.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the  chair. 
The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected   members  of 
the  Club :— Mr.  W.  A.  Allen,  Mr.  Wilson  Wiley,  Mr.  Thomas  Petty,  Mr. 
Fredk.  Litchfield,  Mr.  Charles  Fowler. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  Science  Monthly  "        

" The  American  Naturalist  "     ... 

11  Proceedings,    &c,   of   the    Koyal    Dublin ) 

Society"  ) 

"  Annals  of  Natural  History  "  ...         


In  Exchange. 


From  the  Society. 
Purchased. 


"  Cooke's  Fresh  Water  Algae  "... 


» 


116 

"Science  Gossip"  From  the  Publisher. 

"Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical   Society"       „         „     Society. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  Secretary  read  a  letter  from  Mr.  Clark,  stating  that  he  had  forwarded 
therewith,  some  specimens  of  Spongilla  for  distribution  amongst  the 
members. 

Mr.  Hailes  called  attention  to  some  slides  of  the  tongue  of  Helix  aspersa 
mounted  in  gum  styrax,  one  of  which  he  had  placed  under  a  microscope  on 
one  of  the  side  tables.  There  had  been  a  good  deal  "  floating  in  the  air  " 
of  late  with  respect  to  gum  styrax  as  a  mounting  medium,  but  there 
appeared  to  be  some  obscurity  as  to  where  this  material  could  be  obtained, 
in  the  condition  best  adapted  to  microscopic  mounting.  In  a  note  com- 
municated to  the  "  Societe  Beige  de  Microscopie,"  and  published  in  their 
journal,  Dr.  Yan  Heurck  pointed  out  some  of  the  difficulties  attending  the 
procuration  and  the  purification  of  the  crude  gum,  and  stated,  that  he  had 
imported  some  which  he  had  sent  to  a  French  firm  of  chemists  for  prepara- 
tion. On  pointing  this  out  to  Mr.  Curteis,  he,  with  his  usual  kindness,  wrote 
at  once  to  the  Paris  house  and  obtained  some  samples,  which  he  (Mr.  Hailes) 
had  experimented  with,  in  order  to  ascertain  what  would  be  the  best 
solvent  for  it,  and  also  to  test  its  applicability  to  other  objects.  He  found 
that  the  gum,  which  was  of  a  dark  colour  and  almost  solid,  dissolved  readily 
in  sulphuric  sether,  in  benzol,  and  in  chloroform  ;  but  the  eether  did  not  dis- 
solve all  the  oil,  which  is  used  in  considerable  quantity  in  the  preparation 
of  the  crude  gum.  Benzol  dissolved  all  the  oil,  but  made  a  somewhat 
muddy  solution.  Chloroform,  he  found,  gave  the  most  satisfactory  results. 
The  solution  was  a  little  cloudy,  but  the  cloudiness  disappeared  under  the 
influence  of  a  slight  heat  in  the  process  of  mounting.  As  to  its  applica- 
bility to  other  objects  than  diatoms,  members  would  be  able  to  form  their 
own  opinion  at  the  close  of  the  meeting,  and  if  any  desired  to  experiment 
for  themselves,  no  doubt  Mr.  Curteis  would  be  able  to  let  them  have  a 
sample  of  the  gum. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  said  that  he  had  very  great  pleasure  in  introducing  to 
the  Club  their  newly-elected  President,  Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  F.R.S.,  to 
whom,  in  their  name,  he  offered  a  most  hearty  welcome. 

Dr.  Carpenter  having  taken  the  chair,  amidst  great  applause  on  the  part 
of  the  members,  said  that  his  first  duty,  on  that  occasion,  was  to  thank  them 
very  cordially  for  the  honour  done  to  him  in  electing  him  as  their  President. 
It  was  not  the  first  time  that  they  had  made  the  request  that  he  would 
occupy  the  position,  but  on  former  occasions  it  had  happened  that  there 
were  circumstances  which  precluded  him  from  doing  so.  On  the  last  occa- 
sion, however,  he  had  no  excuse  to  make,  except  that  as  he  was  getting 
rather  old  he  might  not  always  be  able  to  come  out  to  attend  the  meetings. 
He  would,  however,  do  the  best  he  could  in  that  respect,  and  would  try  to 
attend  as  often  as  possible.  He  then  proceeded  to  deliver  an  inaugural 
address,  "  On  the  Structure  of  the  Orbitolites." 

Mr.  A.  D.  Michael  said  that  though  not  strictly  in  order  in  moving  a  vote 
of  thanks  at  that  time,  he  felt  he  should  be  neglecting  a  duty  if  he  did  not, 


117 


in  the  name  of  the  Club,  thank  Dr.  Carpenter  for  the  address  which  he  had 
just  given  them.  They  had  all  found  the  subject  of  the  greatest  interest; 
indeed,  he  thought  that  no  more  interesting  subject  could  have  been  brought 
before  a  Club  like  theirs,  and  when  a  man  like  Dr.  Carpenter  came  down 
there  and  in  his  lucid  manner  taught  them  lessons  of  such  practical  value, 
he  thought  all  present  would  agree  with  him  that  their  thanks  were  due  to 
the  Doctor,  not  only  for  his  address,  but  for  his  presence  amongst  them  on 
that  occasion  as  their  President. 

The  vote  of  thanks  was  put  and  carried  by  acclamation. 
Announcements  of  meetings  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made,  and 
the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione,    the   following 
objects  being  exhibited  : — 

Kotifer.     Asplanchna  priodonta 

Shell  of  Orbitolite 

Plumose  antenna  of  Volucella  bombylans 

Egg  of  Parasite  of  Squirrel,  with  embryo     ... 

Acineta  Ehreiibergii 

Palate  of  Helix  Aspersa  mounted  in  gum  styrax 

Stentor  Miilleri     ... 

Cladosporium  herb  arum  ... 

Pleurosigma  fasciola 

A.  Neuropterous  larva  from  Walton 

Section  of  Jaw  of  Kitten,  showing  displace- 
ment of  temporary,  and  development  of 
permanent  teeth 

Attendance — Members,  83  ;  Visitors,  4. 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  W.  J.  Brown. 
Mr.  F.  Enock. 
Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 
Mr.  W.  Goodwin. 
Mr.  H.  F.  Hailes. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  T.  S.  Morten. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 
Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 

Mr.  W.  Watson. 


November  14th,  1884. — Conversational    Meeting. 
The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  Library : — 


Hydrozoa,  Syncoryne  piisila 

Spicules  of  sponge,  Hyalonema  mirabilis 

„         ,,   gorgonia 

Paramecium  aurelia 

Cynips,  sp.  

Parasite  of  Black  Wallaby,  N.  S.  Wales 

Larva  of  Simulium        

Crystals  of  Zeolite 
Terebraria  Kerguelensis... 
Hydra  Viridis 
Carehesium  polypinum  ... 
Foraminifera,  Carpenteria  monticularis 
Diatom,  Auliscus  speciosus 

T.S.  Finger  of  monkey 

Head  of  house-fly  


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrews. 
Mr.  F.  Coles. 
Mr.  A.  L.  Corbett. 
Mr.  C.  G.  Dunning. 
Mr.  F.  Enock. 
Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 
Mr.  A.  Hammond. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  T.  S.  Morten. 
Mr.  K,  T.  G.  Nevins. 
Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 
Mr.  G.  Sturt. 
Mr.  W.  Watson. 
Mr.  J.  Woollett. 


In  the  mathematical  theatre  Mr.  Lewis  Wright  exhibited  some  slides  by 


118 

means  of  an  improved  construction  of  lantern  microscope,  which  had  been 
constructed  for  him  by  Messrs  Newton  and  Co.,  of  Fleet  Street. 

Mr.  Wright  said  that  he  had  devoted  considerable  time  and  attention  to 
the  perfecting  of  the  gas  microscope,  his  part  of  the  task  being  so  to 
arrange  matters  that  adequate  illumination  could  be  passed  through  both 
the  objects  and  the  lenses,  and  in  such  a  way  as  not  to  impair  the  definition 
of  the  latter.  He  had  found  considerable  difficulty  in  obtaining  suitable 
object  glasses,  especially  those  of  the  higher  powers,  as  many  of  those 
which  were  perfectly  satisfactory  when  used  with  the  ordinary  microscope 
would  not  stand  the  amplification  to  which  they  were  submitted  in  the 
lantern. 

The  object  glasses  used  on  the  present  occasion  were  a  half-inch  of  Powell 
and  Lealand's,  lent  by  Mr.  Frank  Crisp  ;  a  half-inch  of  Gundlach's,  lent  by 
Mr.  Curties  ;  and  an  eight-tenth  of  Messrs.  Newton's. 

The  most  important  consideration  was,  however,  the  arrangement  for  the 
management  of  the  lime  light,  and  this,  which  could  only  be  carried  out  by 
those  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  peculiar  conditions  attending  the  use 
of  that  mode  of  illumination,  had  been  most  effectually  and  satisfactorily 
done  by  Mr.  Herbert  Newton,  from  his  (Mr,  Wright's)  designs. 

Mr.  Wright  then  showed  various  objects  upon  the  screen,  including  a 
beautiful  section  of  the  eye  of  a  fly,  magnified  1,400  diameters,  and  the 
cornea  of  the  same,  2,500  diameters  ;  sections  of  human  skin,  wood,  and 
echinus  spines,  the  tongue  of  the  blow-fly,  from  six  to  fourteen  feet  long,  the 
circulation  in  a  living  frog's  foot,  &c,  &c,  the  sharpness  and  clearness  of 
definition,  as  well  as  the  penetration,  being  in  all  cases  remarkably  good. 
He  also  exhibited  a  number  of  polariscope  slides,  rock  sections,  salicine, 
&c,  with  great  beauty. 

Dr.  Carpenter,  who  was  present,  expressed  his  satisfaction  with  the  pro- 
gress Mr.  Wright  had  made  in  this  direction,  and  pointed  out  the  immense 
advantages  in  the  use,  for  educational  purposes,  of  such  an  apparatus. 
Attendance — Members,  63 ;    visitors,  9. 


November  28th,  1884. — Ordinary  Meeting. 

Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club :— Mr.  Fredk.  Bates,  Mr.  F.  0.  Snell,  Mr.  P.  G.  Sanford,  and  Mr  C. 
Crisp. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  " From  the  Society. 

"  13th  Annual  Report   of  the  South  London 

Natural  History  Society  and  Field  Club 
"  Transactions  of  the  Essex  Field  Club  " 
"  Transactions  of  the  Norfolk  and  Norwich 
Natural  History  Society  "     ... 


:} 


»> 


>>      >» 


>»      >>      >> 


119 


fr      From  the  Society 


a 


a 


» 


a 


Purchased. 


a 


"  Transactions  of    the  Brighton  and  Sussex 

Natural  History  Society  " 
"  Transactions   of    the    Hampstead  Natural ) 
History  Society "         ...  ...  ...  J 

"American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal"...     In  Exchange. 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Koyal  Society  of    New  -i 

South  Wales" j 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  Institute  " 
"  Science  Gossip" 
"  Science  Monthly  " 

"  The  American  Naturalist  "      ...  

"Annals  of  Natural  History*'... 

"  Quarterly  Journal  of  Microscopical  Science" 

"  Challenger  Reports  "  (new  volume)    ...         ...  ,, 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  Secretary  read  a  letter  from  Mr.  T.  B.  Rossiter,  of  Canterbury,  with 
reference  to  a  number  of  specimens  of  Steplianoceros  which  he  had  that 
day  forwarded   for  distribution  amongst  the  members. 

The  President  said  that  there  were  four  tubes  sent  containing  a  large 
number  of  specimens,  which  would  no  doubt  be  appreciated  by  the  members. 
The  Secretary  said  there  was  one  other  donation  to  which  special  atten- 
tion should  be  called,  and  that  was  a  collection  of  300  slides  contained  in 
twelve  boxes,  and  presented  by  Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson.  They  consisted  of  a  set 
of  Van  Heurck's  type  slides  of  diatomaceae,  which  for  purposes  of  com- 
parison would  be  of  great  value. 

The  President  proposed  that  a  special  vote  of  thanks  should  be  given  to 
both  these  gentlemen  for  their  donations ;  and  he  thought  that  a  very 
special  vote  of  thanks  should  be  given  to  the  gentleman  who  had  presented 
this  very  valuable  series  of  slides.  These  were  type  specimens,  and  would 
assist  the  members  in  naming  and  identifying  slides. 

Special  votes  of  thanks  were  then  put  to  the  meeting  and  carried  unani- 
mously. 

Mr.  A.  D.  Michael  described  and  figured  on  the  black  board  a  specimen  of 
an  Ascidian  found  at  the  Land's  End. 

The  President  said  he  had  never  chanced  to  come  across  it  in  the  tadpole 
state,  but  he  was  perfectly  familiar  with  the  form  mentioned.  He  took  a 
very  early  interest  in  this  class,  because  he  had  the  opportunity  of  study- 
ing them  just  after  the  publication  of  Milne  Edwards'  book  had  directed 
attention  to  them,  and  that  book  seemed  to  be  the  starting  point.  He  was 
about  that  time  staying  at  Tenby,  and  found  there  nearly  every  species 
described  by  Milne  Edwards.  He  was  sorry  to  say,  however,  that  on  visit- 
ing Tenby  about  two  years  ago  he  found  the  whole  of  this  fauna  was  gone, 
the  place  having  been  so  entirely  altered  during  the  interval.  The  new 
interest  which  the  ascidians  had  at  the  present  time  arose  from  the  fact  that 
there  was  just  now  a  very  strong  leaning  towards  the  belief  that  they  were 
the  root  stock  of  the  vertebrate  animals,  especially  as  modern  embryology 
was   found  to  entirely  confirm  this  view.      Those  who    had  studied*  Mr. 


120 

Balfour's  work  would  no  doubt  have  noticed  that  there  was  nothing  what- 
ever about  the  ascidians  in  the  first  volume,  but  in  the  second  volume  they 
were  placed  at  the  beginning  of  the  embryology  of  the  vertebrates.  He 
fully  saDctioned  the  idea  that  they  led  up  to  the  vertebrates,  and  not  the 
mollusca  as  was  formerly  supposed. 

Mr.  Bates'  paper  "  On  the  supposed  sexual  nature  of  the  threads  of  the 
Zygnemaceee,"  being  a  criticism  upon  a  paper  by  Mr.  A.  W.  Bennett,  M.A., 
B.Sc,  F.R.M.S.,  &c. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  said  it  was  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  to  him  to  find 
that  they  had  acquired  a  member  who  would  write  papers,  and  who  was  at 
the  same  time  an  indefatigable  worker  in  fresh  water  algae.  He  thoroughly 
endorsed  the  opinions  expressed. 

The  President  said  that  this  was  no  doubt  a  very  remarkable  group,  and 
having  early  paid  some  attention  to  it  at  the  instance  of  Mr.  Thwaites,  of 
Bristol,  they  were  the  first  to  make  out  that  this  conjugation  was  a  sort  of 
anticipation  of  the  sexual  process  in  plants.  In  the  Diatomaceaa  they  found 
a  perfect  equality  ;  and  in  the  Zygnemacese,  taking  the  simplest  forms,  there 
was  no  distinction  of  form,  but  as  they  went  higher  they  came  to  cases  in 
which  there  was  a  difference,  but  it  seemed  to  be  a  gradual  differentiation. 
This,  at  least,  was  his  own  old  opinion.  He  would  venture,  however,  to 
suggest  that  there  should  be  some  modification  of  the  language  employed  by 
the  author  of  this  paper  with  reference  to  Mr.  Bennett,  who  had  been  per- 
sonally known  to  him  for  many  years,  and  who  was  a  very  excellent  man. 
He  was  glad  to  find  that  the  feeling  of  the  meeting  was  with  him  in  ex- 
pressing himself  on  this  matter ;  there  could  be  no  reason  why  one  scientific 
man  should  in  this  manner  impute  motives  to  another.  No  good  ever  came 
of  it,  and  he  was  quite  sure  that  their  Journal  would  be  better  without  it. 

Mr.  Pennington's  note  "  On  a  slide  presented  to  the  Club,  being  a  series 
of  sections  (10  on  one  slide)  of  the  oral  Disc  of  Cerianthus  solitarius"  was 
read  by  the  Secretary. 

The  President  said  that  these  were  very  beautiful  illustrations  of  the 
superiority  of  the  new  method  of  section  cutting  over  the  old.  The 
specimens  were  beautifully  mounted. 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Pennington  was  unanimously  passed. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  announced  that  he  had  recently  been  successful  in 
detecting  a  flagellum  on  the  cholera  bacillus.  He  also  suggested  that  it 
would  obviate  much  inconvenience  where  immersion  condensers  were  used 
if  a  standard  thickness  of  glass  slips  was  adopted.  At  present  there  were  so 
many  thicknesses  in  use  that  it  was  sometimes  very  troublesome  to  adjust 
the  focus  properly  with  high  powers,  as  if  too  thin  the  drop  would  not 
adhere,  and  if  too  thick  it  got  squeezed  out.  He  should  propose  that  a 
thickness  of  ^jyin.  be  adopted  as  the  best  for  a  standard,  and  if  every  person 
would  buy  slides  of  that  gauge  only,  the  thing  might  easily  be  done.  He 
also  exhibited  a  new  microscope,  which  he  regarded  as  a  marvel  of 
cheapness,  the  instrument,  with  two  eye-pieces  and  two  objectives,  being 
offered  at  £3  12s. 

Mr.  Michael  said  he  thought  he  should  find  a  standard  gauge  for  glass 
slips  a  great  nuisance,  especially  for  such  objects  as  required  the  use  of 


121 

high  powers.     Certainly  for  his  particular  class  of  work  he  should  naturally 
object  to  abolish  thin  slips. 

The  President  said  they  were  much  obliged  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  bringing 
these  subjects  forward.  As  regarded  the  microscopic  glass,  he  quite  agreed 
that  it  might  be  well  to  have  a  standard  thin  glass,  but  for  ordinary  work 
he  always  used  glass  of  about  twice  the  thickness  mentioned.  He  never 
measured  the  slips,  as  he  found  his  own  fingers  to  be  very  good  guides  in 
that  respect ;  but  now  that  the  oil  immersion  lenses  were  coming  more  into 
use,  he  thought  it  might  be  well  to  try  to  get  some  uniform  slip  for  use 
with  them. 

The  President  announced  that  Mr.  Charlesworth  had  brought  to  the  meet- 
ing (through  a  mistake  as  to  the  night  of  meeting  of  the  Geologists'  Associa- 
tion) a  very  interesting  series  of  bones  of  the  gorilla,  which  were  displayed 
on  the  table  at  the  end  of  the  room.  Also  that  as  the  date  of  their  next 
ordinary  meeting  fell  on  Bank  Holiday,  December  26th,  it  had  been  deter- 
mined to  omit  the  meeting.  Notice  of  this  alteration  would  be  given  on 
the  Demonstration  Cards  about  to  be  issued. 

The  proceedings  then  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione,  and  the 
following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Lophojjus  crystallinus Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

First  leg  of  the  Honey  Bee   showing  comb  j      *^   F   euoci- 
f or  cleaning  antennas ...         ...         ...  / 

Minute  Hymenopteron  from  Ceylon  to   illus-^ 

trate  Mr.  Green's  paper  read  April  27th>  C     Mr.  T.  Curties. 

18o3  ..  ...  ...  ...  •••  J 

Section  of  Oolite  with  Foraminifera Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

Lecythea  Rosa,  and  Aregma  mucronatum       ...     Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Larval    compound     ascidian,      Leptoclinum  ->      -^  ^  ^   Michael 
showing  condition  in  the  egg  ...  5 

„  „         in    the   three    anterior  j 

suckers,  &c.  ...  3 

„         in    structure   of  caudal ,      Dr>  Matthews> 
appendage     ...  5 

Lima  hians  and  nest  made  up  of    melabesia  } 

7       .         -,  n  ,      r    ,    ni  J      Mr.  S.  H.  Needham. 

calcaria  and  fragments  or  shell       ...  J 

Portion  of  nest  of  same,  showing  the  lining  | 

of  byssus  spun  by  the  mollusc         ..  *        "        "  " 

Attendance — Members,  68 ;   Visitors,  3. 


December  12th,  188-4. — Conversational   Meeting. 

The  first  demonstration  of  the  third  series,  "  On  Bacteria  and  the  methods 
of  staining  them,"  was  given  this  evening  by  Mr.  E.  Thurston,  L.R.C.P., 
Curator  of  the  Anatomical  Museum,  King's  College. 

The  following  is  a  resume  of  his  lecture  : — 

In  the  microscopical  investigation  of  micro-organisms  it  is  necessary  for 
most  purposes,  that  they  should  be  stained  with  anilin  dyes,  in  order  that 
they  may  be  rendered  distinctly  apparent.      Nevertheless  I  strongly  advo- 


122 

cate  the  examination  of  the  organisms,  whenever  it  is  possible,  in  their 
natural  state,  so  that  their  appearances  and  characteristics  may  be  observed 
when  they  have  not  been  subjected  to  the  action  of  heat  or  chemical 
reagents.  It  will  be  found,  in  many  instances,  that  species,  which  are 
undistinguishable  one  from  the  other  microscopically,  can  be  easily  recog- 
nised by  their  appearance  (colour,  consistence,  &c.)  and  mode  of  growth  in 
cnltivating  media,  and,  for  this  reason,  microscopical  examination  should 
always  be  combined  with  artificial  cultivation.  The  cultivation  medium  which 
is  generally  employed  is  clear  sterilised  meat  jelly,  which  is  made  by  adding 
to  a  meat  infusion  neutralised  with  sodium  carbonate,  and  sodium  phosphate, 
5  per  cent,  of  gelatine,  or  1-2  per  cent,  of  agar,  (Japanese  isinglass). 
The  advantage  of  employing  the  latter  is  that  the  jelly  remains  solid  when 
heated  to  40°,  whereas  jelly  made  with  ordinary  gelatine  liquifies  at  20-25°. 
A  very  good  cultivation  soil  is  afforded  by  the  outer  surface  of  a  cooked 
potato.  If  a  potato  is  cleansed  by  washing  it  with  a  solution  of  corrosive 
sublimate  (1-2,000),  boiled,  and  cut  in  two  with  a  heated  knife,  and  exposed 
on  a  plate  beneath  a  bell  jar,  the  air  in  which  is  kept  moist  by  blotting- 
paper  steeped  in  water,  within  1-2  days  minute  colonies  of  various  coloured 
organisms,  together  with  moulds  penicillium,  aspergillus,  &c,  will  appear  on 
the  surface  of  the  potato,  and  increase  in  size  day  by  day.  Each  of  these 
coloured  colonies  consists  of  a  pure  cultivation  of  a  chromogenous  bacte?'ium 
or  torula,  of  which  many  varieties — white,  yellow,  orange,  buff,  red,  &c. — 
exist.  Many  of  these  are  microscopically  undistinguishable  from  each 
other  as  regards  their  shape  and  size,  but  they  are  easily  recognised 
microscopically  by  their  colour  and  mode  of  growth. 

The  investigation  of  bacteria  is  required  under  various  conditions,  accord- 
ing as  they  occur: — 1.  In  fluids,  e.g.,  milk,  water,  blood,  &c. ;  or  on  solid 
media,  e.g.,  bread,  meat,  potatoes,  meat  jelly,  &c.  2.  In  the  organs  and 
tissues  of  the  animal  body.  In  the  former  case  a  minute  portion  of  the 
fluid,  or  of  a  colony  of  the  bacteria,  is  placed  on  the  centre  of  each  of  two 
cover  glasses,  which  are  superimposed  one  over  the  other,  and  rubbed 
together  between  the  fingers,  so  as  to  distribute  the  organisms  evenly  over 
their  surfaces,  and  then  separated  and  left  to  dry.  They  are  then  passed 
several  times  through  the  flame  of  a  spirit  lamp,  so  as  to  fix  the  bacteria  to 
the  surface  of  the  glass.  Cover  glasses  so  prepared  can  be  kept  for  an 
indefinite  time  for  future  investigation,  and  if  an  interesting  organism  is 
met  with  it  is  a  good  plan  to  preserve  some  in  this  manner.  It  is  very  easy 
to  obtain  a  thin,  evenly-diffused  specimen  of  bacteria  on  the  cover  glass 
when  they  are  present  in  fluids,  but  more  difficult  when  they  occur  in  the 
form  of  solid  colonies.  To  obviate  this  difficulty  a  minute  portion  of 
mucilage  or  glycerine  may  be  placed  on  the  cover  glasses,  which  will  help 
the  diffusion  of  the  bacteria  when  the  glasses  are  rubbed  together  between 
the  fingers.  It  will  often  be  found  that  the  bacteria  form  very  fantastic 
patterns  on  the  cover  glass,  which  are  artificially  produced,  and  must  not  be 
considered  as  typical  modes  of  growth. 

To  stain  bacteria  mounted  on  cover  glasses  they  should  be  floated,  with 
the  bacterial  surface  downwards,  or  a  saturated  watery  solution  of  methyl 


123 

bine,  methyl  violet,  gentian  violet,  fuchsin,  vesuvin  or  bismarck  brown* 
The  time  which  is  required  for  the  completion  of  the  staining  process  will 
vary  according  to  the  nature  of  the  dyes.  Koughly  speaking,  10-15 
minutes  suffices  in  every  case  except  that  of  vesuvin  or  bismarck  brown,  on 
which  the  cover  glasses  should  be  left  for  at  least  an  hour.  When  the  stain- 
ing process  is  completed  the  glasses  should  be  washed  with  distilled  water, 
and,  if  the  stain  is  too  deep,  in  a  5-I  per  cent,  solution  of  acetic  acid,  then 
allowed  to  dry,  and  mounted  in  Canada  balsam.  The  best  form  of  balsam 
is  balsam  in  Xylol,  in  which  the  dye  does  not  fade. 

If  time  is  an  object,  the  drying  of  the  cover  glasses  may  be  effected  by 
pressing  them  between  folds  of  blotting  paper  and  then  brushing  then'  sur- 
faces with  a  camel's  hair  brush. 

It  will  be  found  that,  in  solutions  of  anilin  dyes  which  have  been  made 
up  some  time,  various  fungi,  torula  and  bacteria,  are  prone  to  develop,  and 
their  presence,  especially  on  the  surface  of  stained  sections,  might  give  rise 
to  an  erroneous  observation.  Their  development  may  be  prevented  by  the 
addition  to  the  solutions  of  some  antiseptic,  e.g.,  crystals  of  camphor.  In 
every  case  the  solution  should  be  filtered  before  it  is  used. 

For  photo-micrographic  purposes  bacteria  are  best  stained  writh  vesuvin 
or  bismarck  brown. 

In  the  investigation  of  bacteria  in  the  tissues  and  organs  of  the  animal 
body,  sections  must  be  made  after  the  specimen  has  been  hardened  by  one  of 
the  numerous  hardening  processes.  A  great  number  of  staining  reagents 
have  been  recommended,  of  which  I  shall  describe  only  three,  which  I  find 
most  useful  for  general  purposes. 

1.  Bismarck  brown. — The  sections  are  allowed  to  remain  in  a  saturated 
watery  solution  of  the  dye  for  about  one  hour,  washed  in  distilled  water, 
and  then  in  a  g-1  per  cent,  solution  of  acetic  acid,  dehydrated  in  absolute 
alcohol,  clarified  in  oil  of  cloves  or  pure  anilin,  and  mounted  in  Canada 
balsam. 

2.  Alkaline  blue. — The  formula  for  the  making  of  this  solution  is  as 
follows : — To  100  parts  of  a  solution  of  caustic  potash  (1-10,000)  in  distilled 
water,  add  30  parts  of  a  saturated  alcoholic  solution  of  methylen  blue. 
The  sections  should  remain  in  this  fluid  for  about  an  hour,  are  then  washed 
in  distilled  water,  and  afterwards  in  a  ^-1  per  cent,  solution  of  acetic  acid, 
dehydrated  in  alcohol,  clarified  in  oil  of  cedar,  and  mounted  in  Canada 
balsam.  If  they  are  clarified  in  oil  of  cloves  it  will  frequently  happen  that 
much  of  the  dye  rans  out  of  them,  whereas  the  colour  is  retained  when  they 
are  left  in  the  oil  of  cedar,  even  for  a  long  time. 

3.  Gravis  Method. —  In  this  staining  process  three  solutions  are  used  and 
are  as  follows  : — 

Solution  A. — Saturated  alcoholic  solution  of  gentian  violet,  11  parts. 
Saturated  watery  solution  of  anilin,  100  parts. 

[The  anilin  solution  is  made  by  shaking  up  pure  anilin  with  distilled 
water,  until  no  more  is  dissolved,  and  filtering.] 

*  The  best  dyes,  as  far  as  I  know,  are  those  which  are  supplied  by  Griibler,  of  Leipzig, 
for  whom  Mr.  Baker,  244,  fcligh  Holborn,  is  the  London  agent. 


124 

Solution  B. — Iodine,  1  part.     Potassium  Iodide,  3  parts.     Distilled  water, 
300  parts. 

Solution  C. — Saturated  watery  solution  of  vesuvin  or  bismarck  brown. 
The  sections  are  immersed  in  absolute  alcohol  for  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
placed  in  Solution  A  for  1-3  minutes  ;  washed  for  a  few  moments  in  absolute 
alcohol,    and   transferred  to   Solution    B,   in   which  they   remain   for    1-3 
minutes.     They  are  then  again  washed  in  alcohol,  and  placed  in  Solution  C 
for    several  minutes ;    washed  in   distilled   water,   dehydrated  in    alcohol, 
clarified  in  several  changes  of  oil  of  cloves,  and  mounted  in  Canada  balsam. 
This  method  is   by  far  the  best  for  staining  bacteria  with  which   I   am 
acquainted,  and  if  the  various  steps  are  properly  carried  out  the  bacteria 
should  be  stained  of  a  dark  violet  colour,  and  stand  out  in  striking  contrast 
with  the  tissue  elements,  which  are  stained  light  brown. 

If  tubercle  bacilli  are  to  be  stained  by  this  method,  the  sections  should 
be  left  in  Solution  A  for  24  hours  instead  of  a  few  minutes,  and  the  other 
steps  cai-ried  out  in  the  manner  which  I  have  just  described.     The  result  is 
far  superior  to  that  which  was  obtained  by  the  method  of  staining  the  sec- 
tions in  a  fuchsin-anilin  solution,  treating  them  with  nitric  acid,  and  con- 
trast staining  them  with  methyl  blue. 

Let  me  in  conclusion  remind  you  that  bacteria  are  not  of  interest  solely 
to  the  pathologist,  but  that,  entirely  apart  from  pathology,  much  remains 
yet  to  be  learned  of  their  life  history,  and  development,   and  the  precise 
nature  of  the   fermentative  processes  to  which  they  give  rise.     Why  do 
micrococci  generally  grow  in  a  solid  mass  in  meat  jelly,  while  many  bacilli 
liquify  the  same  medium  ?  What  is  the  nature  of  the  pigment  in  the  chromo- 
genous  bacteria  ?     What  changes  occur  in  the  blood  under  the  influence  of 
the  bacillus  anthracis?     Such  are  a  few  of  the  many  questions  which  still 
remain  to  be  solved  by  patient  and  untiring  chemical  investigation. 

The  various  processes  illustrative  of  the  lecture  were  carried  out  by  Mr. 
Thurston,  assisted  by  Mr.  J.  W.  Groves,  and,  on  the  conclusion  of  the  demon, 
stration,  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  was  aocorded  to  these  gentlemen,  on  the 
motion  of  Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  Library  : — 

Fairy  shrimp  Chirocephalus  diajjhanus  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Web  of  house  spider  Aviaurobius  similis       ...     Mr.  F.  Enock. 
LojjIlojms  crystalinus      ...  ...         ...         ...     Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

Gamasus  coleojptratorum  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Disparipes  Bombi  ...         ...  ...  ...       „         „  „ 

Asteromphalus  Humboldtii       ...         ...  ...     Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Condijlostoma  stagnate  ...  ...  ...  ...     Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

Cuticle  of  Fuschia         ...         ...         ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Le  Pelley. 

Bacillus  of  splenic  fever  ...  ...         ...     Mr.  E.  Thurston. 

Type  slide  of  100  species  of  diatoms...         ...     Mr  W.  Watson. 

Attendance — Members,  68;  Visitors,  11. 


125 


Notes  on  a  New  Hydroid  Polyp. 

By  F.  A.  Parsons,  F.R.M.S. 

(Bead  January  2Zrd,  1885.) 

PLATE  VI. 

Before  describing  the  curious  little  polyp  to  which   I  wish  to 
draw  your  attention  this  evening,  I   will  give   a  short  account  of 
'its  discovery. 

At  the  excursion  to  the  gardens  of  the  Royal  Botanic  Society 
of  London,  on  the  19th  of  April  last,  I  took  a  gathering  from  a 
tank  in  the  house  for  Medicinal  and  Economic  plants.  On  an 
iron  pipe  in  this  tank  there  was  growing  some  fresh-water  sponge, 
I  obtained  a  piece  of  this  which  I  placed  in  the  bottle  containing 
my  collection. 

I  am  in  the  habit  of  keeping  the  gatherings  made  during  ex- 
cursions as  long  as  circumstances  will  permit,  and  this  practice  I 
venture  to  recommend  members  generally  to  follow,  as  it  frequently 
happens  that' many  interesting  objects  make  their  appearance,  after 
a  time,  that  would  be  lost  if  the  gatherings  were  thrown  away  soon 
after  they  were  made.  The  discovery  of  this  polyp  is  a  case  in 
point. 

The  sponge  I  have  alluded  to  went  the  way  of  all  sponges,  and 
nothing  but  its  skeleton  remained.  This  cohered,  partly  from  the 
way  in  which  the  spicules  were  matted  together,  and  partly  by 
reason  of  a  film  of  rust  which  had  adhered  to  the  side  of  the 
sponge  and  by  which  it  had  been  cemented  to  the  pipe. 

Some  weeks  after  the  excursion  I  happened  to  look  at  the  con- 
tents of  the  bottle,  and  'on  the  rusty  side  of  the  sponge  skeleton 
I  saw  what  at  first  appeared  to  me  to  be  a  polyzoon,  but  so  different 
from  anything  I  had  ever  seen  that  I  was  at  once  induced  to  ex- 
amine it  more  closely  with  a  pocket-lens,  when  the  seemino- 
resemblance  vanished.  I  should  perhaps  explain  that  the  fancied 
similitude  arose  from  the  fact  that  there  were  a  number  of  these 
polyps  in  close  proximity  to   each  other.     I  took  an  early  oppor- 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  12.  l 


126  F.    A.    PARSONS    ON    A    NEW    HYDROID    POLYF. 

tunity  of  making  a  microscopical  examination,  but  was  unable  to 
get  beyond  the  fact  that  it  was  a  hydroid  polyp  which  I  had  never 
before  seen.  I  described  it  to  several  persons  whom  I  thought 
might  be  able  to  give  me  some  clue  to  its  identification,  but  I  was 
unable  to  obtain  any  information  about  it. 

Owing  to  the  flimsy  structure  of  the  sponge  skeleton,  which 
had  began  to  disintegrate,  I  hesitated  about  bringing  it  here,  but 
finally  determined  to  make  an  attempt  to  exhibit  it  in  this  room, 
and  I  brought  it  down  to  the  meeting  in  July  last.  Being  anxious 
to  show  it  under  a  quarter-inch  objective  I  endeavoured  to 
transfer  it  to  a  very  shallow  trough,  but  the  sponge  skeleton  had 
become  so  fragile  that  the  whole  thing  collapsed  in  the  attempt, 
completely  obscuring  all  the  specimens,  which  I  thought  were 
annihilated,  but,  however,  they  subsequently  reappeared  stronger 
than  ever.  It  was  my  intention  to  exhibit  a  rather  fine  specimen, 
at  the  November  meeting,  in  the  hope  that  our  President  might 
be  able  to  throw  some  light  upon  the  matter,  but,  when  I  looked 
for  this  particular  specimen,  which  I  had  carefully  isolated  in  a 
small  tube,  I  was  unable  to  find  it ;  neither  could  I  find  any  of  the 
others.     They  had  all,  I  suppose,  died  from  want  of  food. 

I  paid  another  visit  to  the  tank  at  the  end  of  November,  and 
was  much  gratified  on  reaching  home  to  find  that  I  had  obtained 
a  fresh  supply  of  these  singular  little  creatures. 

In  the  following  week  a  letter  from  Professor  E.  Ray  Lankester 
appeared  in  the  Times  stating  that  Mr.  Bourne  had  discovered, 
in  the  Victoria  regia  tank,  at  the  Royal  Botanic  Gardens,  a 
hydroid  polyp,  which  was  supposed  to  be  the  polyp  stage  of  the 
Medusa  Limnocodium  Soiverbii. 

Without  having  the  slightest  idea  that  this  polyp  was  the  same 
that  I  had  found  in  the  Economic  house,  I  determined  to  make 
another  pilgrimage  to  the  Gardens  and  endeavour  to  find 
the  polyp  referred  to  by  Professor  Lankester.  I  went  to  the 
Victoria  regia  house,  and  searched  there  in  vain  for  anything  like 
a  polyp,  but  took  away  with  me  some  rootlets  of  the  Pontederia. 
The  first  piece  I  examined  of  this  under  the  microscope  revealed 
my  old  acquaintance  of  the  Economic  house,  and  it  immediately 
flashed  across  my  mind  that  this  was  probably  the  same  polyp 
which  had  rewarded  the  search  of  Mr.  Bourne. 

It  was  suggested  to  me  by  a  friend,  that  I  should  exhibit  it  at 
the  December  meeting  of  the   Royal  Microscopical   Society,  and 


F.    A.    PARSONS    ON    A    NEW    HYDROID    POLYP.  127 

as  there  was  no  meeting  of  this  Club  last  month,  except  the  Gossip 
night  which  I  was  unable  to  attend,  I  acted  upon  the  suggestion, 
and  I  am  very  glad  that  I  did  so,  as  it  brought  me  a  letter  from 
Mr.  Bourne,  in  which  he  says  : — "  I  am  told  by  Mr.  Charles 
Stewart  that  you  exhibited  to  the  Microscopical  Society  a  Hydroid 
polyp,  which  Mr.  Stewart  informs  me  is  the  same  as  the  one  I 
have  lately  described  from  the  tank  at  Regent's  Park.  Mr. 
Stewart  further  informed  me  that  you  had  been  for  some  time 
acquainted  with  this  form,  and  had  found  it  in  other  localities 
than  in  the  Lily  tank  at  the  Botanic  Gardens — if  this  is  the  case 
it  cannot  be  Limnocodium.  I  should  feel  greatly  obliged  if  you 
would  let  me  have  a  line  from  you  about  it.  I  naturally  considered 
it  in  the  highest  degree  probable  that  the  thing  was  connected 
with  Limnocodium,  but  if  it  is  not,  and  if  it  never  developes 
further  than  the  condition  in  which  we  now  see  it,  I  regard  it  as 
an  even  more  interesting  form,  and  should,  of  course,  consider  it 
as  your  discovery." 

In  reply  to  this  letter  I  gave  Mr.  Bourne  some  information 
about  the  polyp,  and  ventured  to  suggest  that  before  coming  to 
the  conclusion  that  it  had  no  relationship  to  Limnocodium,  it  would 
be  well  that  the  latter  should  be  looked  for  in  the  tank  in  the 
house  for  Medicinal  and  Economic  plants,  where  it  might  have 
easily  escaped  observation. 

I  remarked  just  now  that  the  polyps  made  their  appearance  on 
the  side  of  the  sponge  which  had  been  in  contact  with  the  pipe. 
This  fact  leads  me  to  the  inference  that  the  polyps  were  developed 
from  germs  contained  in  the  water  which  I  brought  away  with  me, 
for  I  do  not  see  how  they  could  have  got  there  while  the  sponge 
was  alive  ;  moreover  they  were  in  different  stages  of  development, 
the  earliest  stage  seen  by  me  being  a  little  mound  of  fuscous 
coloured  sarcode.  Other  specimens  more  advanced  were  similar, 
but  longer,  the  length  varying,  no  doubt,  in  proportion  to  the 
age  of  the  individuals.  When  the  polyp  has  attained  its  full 
length,  or  perhaps  a  little  earlier,  its  free  end  presents  a  warty 
appearance  due  to  a  number  of  receptacles  containing  the  urticating 
thread  cells.  These  thread-cells  are  very  minute,  the  shape  of 
them  being  that  of  a  very  short  cylinder  with  hemispherical  ends. 
The  spines  on  the  filament  are  not  sufficiently  distinct  to  be  counted 
under  a  quarter-inch  objective — at  least  I  was  unable  to  count  them 
when  I  had  them  under  examination  with  that  power — but  I  was 


128 


F.  A.  PARSONS  ON  A  NEW  HYDROID  POLYP. 


just  able  to  detect  the  threads  coiled  up  in  the  little  papilla-like 
receptacles  on  the  head  of  the  polyp. 

Besides  the  simple  form  I  found  three  other  forms  ;  these  were 
evidently  further  developments,  but  how  brought  about  I  have  not 
been  able  to  determine,  for  I  have  not  discovered  any  interme- 
diate stages,  though  1  hope  I  may  yet  be  able  to  find  them.  If  I 
may  be  allowed  to  speculate — though  it  is  unsafe  to  do  so — I  should 
think  it  probable  that  the  second  polyp  is  developed  from  the  base 
of  the  first,  thus  causing  the  erect  position  to  be  changed  to  a 
recumbent  one.  The  tripartite  and  quadripartite  forms  are  prob- 
ably developed  in  the  same  manner  as  the  bipartite  form.* 

The  method  of  attachment  of  the  polyps  I  have  not  been  able 
to  make  out;  they  do  not  appear  to  have  anything  like  the  ad- 
herent disc  or  foot  of  the  hydra,  though  there  is  probably  some 
approach  to  that  organ ;  neither  have  I  been  able  to  discover  that 
it  has  any  powers  of  locomotion,  though  after  the  collapse  of  the 
sponge  skeleton  I  found  a  polyp  attached  to  some  rootlets. 
The  only  motion  I  have  observed  is  a  sluggish  one,  the 
animal  occasionally  bending  its  body  sideways  as  if  searching 
for  food,  remaining  motionless  for  a  considerable  period,  and  pre- 
senting altogether  a  harmless  appearance.  This  appearance  is,  how- 
ever, utterly  deceptive,  for  its  powers  of  paralysing  its  prey 
equal,  if  they  do  not  surpass,  those  of  the  hydra,  though  it 
has  not  its  activity,  otherwise  it  would  be  impossible,  in  the 
absence  of  tentacles,  for  it  to  obtain  food  ;  any  small  animalcule 
coming  in  contact  with  the  head  must  be  instantly  paralysed, 
else,  on  finding  itself  hurt  it  would  dart  away  out  of  reach. 
As  regards  its  method  of  feeding  I  was  for  some  time  in  doubt ; 
I  could  not  detect  any  mouth,  and  as  I  found  little  worms  lying 
dead  about  the  heads  of  the  polyps,  1  was  at  first  inclined  to  think 
that  they  lived  by  some  process  of  absorption.  I  have,  however, 
since  had  ocular  demonstration  of  their  powers  of  deglutition.  I 
saw  a  polyp  swallow  a  rotifer  which  was  quite  as  large  in  diameter 
as  itself.  How  the  rotifer  was  caught  I  did  not  see,  as  it  was  done 
at  a  moment  when  my  eye  was  away  from  the  microscope.     From 

*  Since  writing  these  remarks  I  have  found  an  intermediate  stage,  where 
one  member  of  a  trifid  form  was  developing  a  fourth  polyp,  in  the  form  of 
a  bud,  near  the  base  of  that  particular  member.  This  bud  consisted  simply 
of  what  I  would  term  a  perfect  head,  projecting  beyond  and  clear  of  the 
body  of  the  parent.  The  body  of  the  new  polyp  would  doubtless  be 
developed  in  due  course. 


F.    A.    PARSONS    ON    A    NEW    HYDIIOID    POLYP.  129 

the  position  of  the  rotifer  I  should  think  that  it  had  probably 
collided  head  first  with  the  polyp  and  had  been  instantly  paralysed. 
The  head  of  the  polyp  was  bent  over  nearly  at  a  right  angle  to  its 
body,  but  was  jDresently  moved  round  to  its  normal  position, 
the  rotifer  being  taken  with  it ;  by  this  time  the  head  of  the  latter 
had  disappeared,  and  the  rotifer  was  motionless,  the  gizzard  only 
working  slowly.  The  polyp  continued  to  swallow  its  unfortunate 
prey,  but  the  operation  was  so  slow  that  I  could  not  detect  the 
motion,  and  it  was  only  by  mentally  comparing  the  relative  positions 
from  time  to  time  that  I  could  tell  what  was  going  on.  Eventually 
the  rotifer  disappeared  from  view,  but  its  position  in  its  downward 
course  within  the  polyp  could  readily  be  discerned  by  the  corpulence 
of  the  latter  at  the  spot  to  which  the  rotifer  had  arrived. 

I  afterwards  witnessed  a  still  more  extraordinary  display  of  the 
polyp's  capacity  fur  swallowing  comparatively  large  objects.  In 
this  instance  one  member  of  a  twin  arrangement  was  discovered 
in  the  act  of  swallowing  a  little  chydorus  sphcericus,  which  was  quite 
double  the  diameter  of  the  glutton  to  which  it  was  the  victim. 
When  I  first  observed  it  the  chydorus  was  already  about  two- 
thirds  of  its  diameter  within  the  body  of  the  polyp,  whose  mouth 
was  fearfully  distended,  and  I  doubted  whether  it  would  succeed 
in  the  task  it  had  undertaken  ;  however,  presently  it  accomplished 
the  feat,  but  by  converting  itself  into  a  bloated  deformity. 

Although  I  have  had  this  creature  under  observation  for  a  \o\\o- 
time,  I  have  seen  no  indications  of  any  reproductive  process  other 
than  that  already  described  ;  but  I  think  it  is  probable  that  if  search 
were  to  be  made  shortly  before  the  jieriod  at  which  the  limnocodiam 
usually  appears,  evidence  might  be  obtained  which  would  show 
whether  or  no  this  polyp  has  the  relation  to  limnocodium  which  it 
has  been  supposed  to  have.  I  would  mention  here,  as  having  some 
possible  bearing  on  this  point,  that  a  change  does  appear  to  take 
place  in  the  structure  of  the  animal ;  in  the  earlier  stages  the  body 
seems  to  consist  of  granular  sarcode,  in  general  appearance  similar 
to  that  of  the  common  hydra,  but  in  later  stages  there  is  a  decided 
cellular  appearance,  the  cells  being  comparatively  large  and  the 
polyp  more  nearly  transparent. 

The  polyps  seem  extremely  hardy,  for  though  taken  from  a  tank 
kept  at  a  temperature  of  90°  or  more,  they  lived  and  flourished 
with  me  in  a  room  at  the  ordinary  indoor  temperature;  all  they 
seemed  to  require  being  plenty  of  food.  Whether  keeping  them  at  so 


130       F.  A.  PARSONS  ON  A  NEW  HYDROID  POLYP. 

low  a  temperature  would  interfere  with  the  development  of  medusas 
I  cannot  say,  but  should  think  it  probable. 

There  is  one  point  which  I  omitted  when  speaking  of  its  powers 
of  offence.  I  am  inclined  to  believe  that  it  has  defensive  powers 
also.  This  idea  occurred  to  me  from  seeing  a  rotifer  blunder 
head  first  against  the  trunk  of  one  of  these  polyps.  The  rotifer 
backed  off  instantly  with  its  rotary  organs  retracted,  and  had  every 
appearance  of  being  seriously  hurt ;  in  fact,  I  thought  it  had  re- 
ceived a  death  blow.  I  watched  it  for  some  time,  but  it  ultimately 
recovered  and  swam  off  as  though  nothing  had  happened. 

In  concluding  these  remarks  I  must  apologise  for  the  very 
rough  form  in  which  they  are  presented,  and  for  the  absence  of 
more  solid  information  than  I  have  been  able  to  give.  I  have 
kept  no  notes,  and  my  remarks  are  given  entirely  from  memory ; 
some  of  the  sketches  are  also  made  from  recollection  of  the  objects. 
I  may  therefore  not  have  been  quite  so  precise  on  some  points  as 
could  be  desired  ;  my  excuse  is  that  I  have  not  had  the  leisure 
necessary  for  working  out  the  matter  in  a  more  satisfactory 
manner ;  but  I  thought  the  members  might  like  to  know  something 
concerning  the  polyp,  the  first  discovery  of  which  is  due  to  the 
Club  Excursions.  I  shall  continue  my  observations,  and  if  I  dis- 
cover anything  fresh  of  sufficient  interest  I  may  on  a  future  occa- 
sion trespass  on  your  patience. 


DESCRIPTION    OF    PLATE    VI. 

Figures  1  to  9  may  be  considered  as  diagrams  only,  having  been  drawn 
entirely  from  memory.  With  the  exception  of  Fig.  5  they  approximately 
represent  the  appearauce  under  the  inch  objective  and  B  eye-piece. 

Figs.  1,  2,  3,  4,  represent  the  early  stages  in  the  development  of  the  polyp. 

Fig.  5  is  an  enlarged  sketch  of  a  nematocyst  or  thread-cell,  as  seen  under 
the  quarter-inch  objective  and  B  eye-piece. 

Figs.  6,  7,  and  8  show  various  other  forms  referred  to  in  the  paper. 

Fig.  9  is  a  trifid  form  with  a  fourth  polyp  budding  out  at  a. 

Fig.  10  shows  a  form  similar  to  that  shown  at  Fig.  3,  and 

Figs.  12,  13,  and  14  three  different  stages,  bipartite,  tripartite,  and 
quadripartite  in  close  proximity  ;  also  variation  in  form  from  Figs.  5,  7,  8, 
and  11. 


Jo-Li-m.  Q.M.C. 


Ser.II.VoL  2.P1.VI 


y.  A..&a,r*$on,S     dj&*. 


10 


it 


!% 


13. 


: 


12 


• 


14r. 


\ 


^H 


J.JBoccLcock  Jr.   cteL   <Xot-  Yuajt-     "WT -Rkeun,  ZitJt.. 


"West  Wew-m,oi.n.  S  C "?  T-TTVp 


131 


Newly- Observed   Phenomena    in   the    Conjugation    of    the 

Diatom   Rhabdonema   ar malum. 

By  T.  H.  Buffham. 

{Read  February  27th,  1885.) 

PLATES  VII.  &  VIII. 

Before  entering  upon  a  description  of  the  phenomena  noticed 
in  the  process  of  conjugation  of  this  diatom,  it  will  be  instructive 
to  understand  the  peculiar  structure  of  the  frustule  and  habits  of 
the  plant,  for  they  undoubtedly  govern  the  mode  and  circumstances 
of  that  process  which  it  is  the  purpose  of  the  present  paper  to 
describe. 

Rhabdonema  arcualum  grows  in  filaments  which  are  attached  to 
marine  algse.  The  filaments  are  of  constant  thickness,  have 
parallel  sides,  but  differ  from  each  other  in  breadth,  being  3 
to  9  times  the  thickness,  so  that  the  appearance  is  that  of  a 
number  of  ribands.  These  filaments  are  found  to  contain  from 
2  to  60  frustules,  but  the  frustule s  themselves  are  not  of  equal 
breadth  (using  this  term  now  as  extending  along  the  direction  of 
the  filament).  Moreover,  the  breadths  of  the  frustules  are  usually 
different  in  the  same  filament.  On  taking  the  "  front  view  "  (as  it 
is  called)  of  a  frustule  {i.e.,  in  this  instance  the  flatter  side)  the  two 
valves — one  at  each  extremity — are  seen  to  be  separated  by  a  con- 
siderable distance  from  each  other,  the  intervening  space  being  filled 
up  by  a  number  of  annuli  of  the  same  length  as  the  valves,  and 
equally  siliceous.  These  will  bear  boiling  in  nitric  acid  without, 
in  many  cases,  separating.  A  few  will,  however,  be  found  together 
with  free  valves.  A  "  side  view  "  of  a  valve  is  shown  on  Plate  VII., 
Fig.  I,x600.  In  Fig.  2  is  drawn  the  same  aspect  (also  x  600) 
of  an  annulus.  An  extremely  thin  plate  of  silex  is  projected  from 
each  extremity,  but  only  from  one  side.  It  resembles,  in  fact,  the 
elliptical  lid  of  a  cardboard  box  with  all  the  top  removed  excepting 
a  crescent  at  each  end.  To  revert,  then,  to  the  frustule  it  will  be 
perceived  that  there  are  as  many  narrow  chambers  as  annuli,  all 
freely  communicating  with  the  central  large  space,  only  that  in 


132       T.    H.    BtJFFHAM    ON    NEWLY-DISCOVERED    PHENOMENA    IN 

this  composite  frustule  the  granular  contents  are  somewhat  re- 
stricted when  moving  in  the  chambers. 

The  mode  of  self-division  is  similar  to  that  of  diatoms  with 
simple  frustules  excepting  that  the  "  connecting  membrane  "  (or 
"  hoop  ")  may  be  formed  at  other  parts  of  the  widened  frustule 
than  the  middle.  Nor  must  we  overlook  the  gelatinous  cushions 
or  "  isthmi "  which  connect  the  four  corners  of  adjoining  frustules. 

To  come  now  to  the  process  of  conjugation.  Prof.  W.  Smith, 
in  his  invaluable  "  Synopsis  of  British  Diatomacege '  (Intro.  Vol. 
ii.,  p.  13.)  says  :  "  From  a  single  frustule  two  sporangia  are 
produced  in  the  process  of  conjugation  :  this  takes  place  in 
Achnanthes  and  Rhabdonema."  How  far  I  am  compelled  to  con- 
sider this  description  inadequate  will  presently  appear. 

In  March,  1883,  I  collected  at  Folkestone,  Bhab,  arcuatum 
growing  on  Cladophora,  Polysiphonia,  and  Ceramium  in  rich  pro- 
fusion. After  carefully  washing  in  sea-water  I  placed  them  in 
glycerine  to  await  examination.  This  was  done  after  mounting  in 
the  same  medium,  but  chiefly  in  Deane's  gelatine.  As  objection 
might  be  taken  to  results  obtained  from  preserved  and  no  longer 
living  specimens  I  may  here  remark  that  the  only  effects  of 
glycerine,  as  far  as  I  can  see,  are  to  make  the  endochrome  more 
transparent  and  slightly  greener,  and  but  very  little  to  alter  the 
disposition  of  the  granules.  And  Deane's  gelatine,  after  glycerine, 
very  well  preserves  the  same  appearance.  At  all  events  it  will 
not  be  argued  that  these  media  will  differentiate  substances  that 
are  identical  in  structure  and  condition.  Relying  to  a  large  extent 
on  this  principle  I  am  not  wholly  dependent  on  it. 

It  would  be  of  no  interest  to  relate  here  the  various  attempts 
made  to  reconcile  one's  earlier  observations  with  the  statements  of 
Prof.  Smith,  and  I  therefore  proceed  at  once  to  give  the  results  of 
the  examination  of  many  thousands  of  filaments,  continued  at  in- 
tervals since  collecting  the  specimens,  with  here  and  there  an 
instance  of  conjugation,  accumulating,  however,  in  the  aggregate, 
to  a  considerable  number,  and  exhibiting  almost  every  possible 
stage.  In  this  examination  I  have  been  assisted  by  my  friend  Mr. 
W.  H.  Gilburt,  to  whom  I  am  indebted  for  several  important 
suggestions. 

I.  There  are  filaments  which  differ  from  the  ordinary  kind  in 
consisting  chiefly  of  frustules  whose  breadth  (reckoned  along  the 
axis  of  the  filament)  is  usually  about  equal  to  the  length,  and  the 
terminal  half-dozen  or  so  are  connected  only  by  one  angle  to  each 


THE  CONJUGATION  OF  THE  DIATOM  EHABDONEMA  ARCUATUM.        133 

other,  and  thus  form  a  zigzag  chain  (like  Grammatophora)   which 
is  frequently  somewhat  twisted.     (See  Fig.  3,  x  200.) 
The  frustules  themselves  are  noticeable  for  — 

1.  Their  small  size.  They  are  the  smallest  observed, — the 
length  of  valves  or  annuli  being  usually  but  '00156  inch,  though 
occasionally  reaching  *002. 

2.  Their  delicate  appearance.  This  is  partly  owing  to  the 
divisions  between  the  annuli  being  less  marked  than  in  ordinary 
frustules,  but  also  through  the  pale  colour  of  the  endochrome. 

3.  The  absence  of  one  isthmus  and  the  small  size  of  the  other. 

4.  But  chiefly  the  paucity  and  arrangement  of  the  endochrome. 
In  all  vegetating  frustules  there  is  much  variety  in  this  respect,  no 
regular  figure  being  generally  found.  In  these,  however,  there  is 
always  a  central  pale  circle  or  disc,  this  being  the  nucleus,  and  the 
remaining  endochrome  forms  wavy  curved  lines,  radiating  in  a 
roughly-stellate  manner,  with  a  few  small  granules.  (See  Fig. 
4,x600.) 

These  are  undoubtedly  the  male  frustules,  as  will  presently  be 
seen. 

II.  There  are  other  filaments  nearly  as  small,  generally  about 
•00188  inch,  but  a  few  as  wide  as  '00225.  These  may  be  dis- 
tinguished from  ordinary  filaments  by  the  large  number  of  annuli 
in  a  frustule.  Near  the  middle  of  a  frustule  is  a  "  hoop,"  but  much 
wider  than  the  "  hoops  "  of  a  self-dividing  ordinary  filament.  The 
endochrome  is  usually  of  a  darker  green,  and  the  granules  denser. 
The  nucleus  is  frequently  obscured  by  the  aggregating  granules, 
but  when  detected  is  found  to  be  altered,  and  there  is  no  distinct 
central  mass  as  in  the  smallest  frustules  described  in  I. 

These  we  shall  find  are  the  female  frustules. 

III.  We  have, then,  two  clearly-distinguishable  kinds  of  frustules 
which  are  concerned  in  the  act  of  conjugation,  but  the  mode  is  so 
curious,  .and  as  I  believe  it  has  hitherto  been  unrecorded,  I  would 
specially  draw  attention  to  it. 

Most  frequently  the  conjugation  takes  place  with  a  female 
frustule  at  or  near  the  free  end  of  a  filament.  At  the  earliest 
stage  a  number  of  male  frustules  have  attached  themselves  by  an 
isthmus  to  each  of  the  half-frustules  divided  by  the  wide  hoop  or 
band.  They  do  so  at  any  part  of  the  annuli  indifferently,  either  on 
their  flatter  sides  or  ends.  The  number  varies  :  it  is  never  less 
than  two,  and  sometimes  as  many  as  eight  crowd  round  it.  Of  21 
I  have  counted,  the  average  on  each  half-frustule  was  four.     In 


134      T.    H.    BUFFHAM    ON    NEWLY-DISCOVERED    PHENOMENA    IN 

one  case  there  were  five,  besides  a  zigzag  chain  of  ten — one  only 
of  this  chain  being  attached  to  the  female.  It  would  be  impos- 
sible to  understand  the  various  positions  where  many  are  crowded 
on  excepting  by  the  use  of  the  binocular.  The  appearance  with 
a  -i-inch  objective  and  paraboloid  x  120  is  extremely  curious  as 
the  whole  can  be  seen  nearly  in  focus  at  once.  In  Fig  5  (  X  200) 
is  seen  the  earliest  stage  of  conjugation,  only  that  for  clearness  the 
male  frustules  on  the  under  side  are  not  drawn. 

An  interesting  point  now  suggests  itself.  One  cannot  yet  foresee 
whether  one  or  two  sporangia  will  be  developed.  Prof.  Smith  only 
knew  of  the  latter  result,  but  the  instances  are  about  equal. 
What,  then,  is  the  determining  cause  ?  As  far  as  I  have  seen 
there  is  no  case  where  conjugation  occurs  excepting  when  the 
female  frustule  is  greatly  widened  and  presents  the  broad  band 
mentioned  above.  This  may  be  a  stage  in  self-division,  yet  there 
is  no  trace  of  new  valves,  and  the  band  is  noticeably  wider  than  in 
those  vegetating  frustules  which  goon  self- dividing.  Prof.  Smith 
says  (loc.  cit.,  p.  xiv)  :  "  Self-division  occurring  during  the  pro- 
gress of  conjugation  the  endochrome  becomes  segregated  in  the 
very  act  of  intermingling,  and  a  single  frustule  whose  contents 
have  been  already  differentiated  gives  rise  to  two  sporangia  as  in 
Achnanthes  and  Rhabdonema"  It  will  already  have  seemed 
probable  that  this  description  does  not  include  the  true  process  of 
conjugation,  but  I  gladly  note  that  it  suggests  the  explanation  we 
want.  It  is  a  fact  that  in  about  half  the  cases  only  that  half  of 
the  frustule  which  is  nearer  the  base  of  the  filament  produces  a 
sporangium,  as  shown  in  Figs.  6  and  7.  The  terminal  half — 
although  having  males  attached — falls  away.  We  can  only  infer 
that  its  vitality  was  not  enough,  probably  from  the  nucleus  not 
having  divided,  to  carry  on  to  its  completion  the  production  of  a 
sporangium.  If,  however,  the  nucleus  has  divided — or  in  whatever 
way  the  necessary  vitality  of  the  upper  half  has  been  obtained — 
there  will  result  two  sporangia,  as  in  Plate  VIII.,  Figs.  1  and  2. 

.Returning  from  this  digression  to  the  course  of  development  of 
a  single  sporangium  following  the  earliest  stage  shown  in  Fig.  5 
we  have  already  noted  that  the  terminal  half  of  the  female  frustule 
falls  away.  The  isthmi  attaching  the  male  frustules  enlarge,  the 
endochrome  contracts,  and  the  central  pale  nucleus  is  lost.  The 
endochrome  of  the  female  moves  towards  the  band,  and  the  now 
open  end  of  the  latter  secretes  a  gelatinous  portion  which  closes 


THE  CONJUGATION  OF  THE   DIATOM  EHABDONEMA  ARCUATUM.       135 

it,  and  one  of  the  isthmi  connecting  the  female  with  the  frustule 
below  it  gives  way,  leaving  it  cohering  by  one  angle. 

Later  still  the  males  lose  all  their  green  colour,  and  the  contents 
are  still  further  contracted,  so  that  only  amorphous  minute  specks 
are  left  that  look  like  the  denser  remnants  of  the  original  granules, 
and  the  frustules  break  in  two, — either  near  the  middle,  or  lose  one 
valve:  having  fulfilled  their  office  their  vitality  is  quite  lost.  The 
stimulus  they  have  exerted  upon  the  contents  of  the  female  cell 
has  passed  through  the  thin  (possibly  unsilicified)  spot  near  the  end 
of  the  valve,  and  has  undoubtedly  been  conveyed  by  the  isthmi 
which  connect  them  with  the  annuli  of  the  female,  and,  I  think, 
must  have  made  its  way  through  the  sutures  of  these  annuli.  The 
endochrome  of  the  males  appears  mainly  to  pass  into  solution  to 
effect  the  stimulus  :  there  is  obviously  no  transfer  of  the  granules 
as  such.  The  female  has  developed — projecting  from  the  band — a 
globose  gelatinous  sporangium,  in  which  there  is  a  distinct  small 
portion  that  contains  most  of  the  endochrome.     (Fig.  6,  X  250.) 

Succeeding  this  the  whole  of  the  endochrome  passes  into  this 
space,  and  then  appears  completely  separated  from  the  cavity  of  the 
frustule,  and  is  gradually  elongated,  and  has  formed  round  it  a 
sheath  or  membrane. 

Finally,  the  elongated  mass  secretes  silex,  and  a  new  frustule  is 
formed.  The  gelatinous  investment  has  grown  with  the  require- 
ments of  the  contained  body.  The  new  frustule  consists  of  two 
valves  and  what  seems  a  kind  of  hoop, — there  are  no  annuli, — and 
it  contains  larger,  denser,  and  more  deeply-coloured  granules. 
Some  of  the  male  frustules  still  hang  attached  although  it  is  evi- 
dent, by  the  still  further  diminution  of  their  opaque  contents,  that 
it  is  only  by  the  persistence  of  their  isthmi.      (See.  Fig.  7,  x  300.) 

With  regard  to  the  double  sporangia  a  substantially  similar  course 
of  development  is  followed.  In  some  cases,  however,  one  sporan- 
gium appears  to  be  more  advanced  than  the  other.  In  Plate  VIII., 
Fig.  I,x200,  the  lower  one  was  either  started  earlier,  or  has  de- 
veloped more  rapidly.  In  this  specimen  the  female  frustule  was 
not  terminal — a  frustule  being  beyond  it.  In  Fig.  2 — showing  two 
mature  sporangial  frustules  (  x  300) — it  was  terminal.  It  is  now- 
rare  to  find  the  female  frustule  of  the  upper  sporangium.  Very 
frequently  it  gets  rubbed  off,  even  by  the  time  the  stage  in  Fig.  1 
(preceding)  has  been  reached,  and  only  fragments  of  the  band  are 
left,  but  this  is  probably  of  no  consequence,  the  developing  poten- 


136       T.    II.    BUFFHAM    ON    NEWLY-DISCOVERED    PHENOMENA    IN 

tialitj  being  then  in  the  endochrome  contained  in  the  sporangium. 
The  curious  and  invariable  loss  of  one  of  the  isthmi  at  the  base  of 
the  lower  female  frnstule,  noticed  already,  may  be  intended  to  give 
freer  play  to  the  sporangia,  which  undergo  a  great  deal  of  fric- 
tion from  the  surrounding  filaments;  indeed,  they  occasionally  show 
a  somewhat  battered  appearance. 

There  is  considerable  elasticity  in  these  isthmi.  I  have  seen  a 
long  filament  doubled  up  while  mounting  in  Deane's  gelatine,  and 
then  gradually  unbend  itself,  and  this  after  eighteen  months'  preser- 
vation in  glycerine.  The  male  frustules  are,  in  a  very  few  instances 
absent,  but  the  scars  of  their  attachments  can  always  be  detected 
with  a  high  power. 

I  regret  I  cannot  contribute  anything  towards  a  settlement  of 
the  question  as  to  whether  the  sporangial  or  "zygospore-frustule  ' 
contains  a  number  of  gonidia  which  Dr.  Carpenter  ("  Microscope," 
6th  ed.,  p.  837)  thinks  may  originate  the  new  generation.  Some 
observations  of  Prof.  Smith  seem  to  point  to  this,  and  there  is  a 
short  note  by  Mr.  G.  C.  Karop — now  our  Secretary — in  our  own 
Journal  (Vol.  vi.,  p.  191),  in  which  the  writer  describes  what  may 
have  been  immature  forms  possibly  developed  from  such  gonidia. 
I  have  seen  double  sporangia  where  one  of  the  new  frustules  had 
evidently  been  discharged,  but  this  would  prove  nothing  either  way. 
The  length  of  several  mature  zygospore-frustules  I  found  to  be 
constant  at  -0059  inch,  and  the  widest  filament  I  found  to  be  but 
•0051.  If  the  zygospore-frustule  at  once  increased  by  ordinary 
self- division,  it  seems  strange  that  no  filaments  were  found  of  a 
width  equal  to  the  length  of  the  initial  frustule. 

To  sum  up,  then,  the  salient  features  of  conjugation  in  ffiiabdo- 
nema  arcuatum  we  find  : 

1.  The  male  frustules  are  the  smallest  in  size,  have  the  most 
definite  arrangement  of  endochrome,  and  are  the  most  readily  de- 
tached. 

2.  The  female  frustules  have  slightly  longer  valves,  more  nume- 
rous annuli,  and  have  always  a  wide  band  near  the  middle. 

3.  Conjugation  is  always  polyandrous,  and  is  effected  by  the  male 
frustules  attaching  themselves  indifferently  to  any  part  of  the  annuli 
of  the  female  frustule. 

4.  The  result  of  such  conjugation  is  the  production  of  one  spo- 
rangial or  zygospore-frustule  if  only  the  basal  half  of  a  female  frus- 
tule persist  ;  but,  if  both  halves  persist,  each  will  produce  a  spo- 
rangium— the  two  sporangia  being  in  close  opposition. 


. 


i 


" 


^ 


-3 


■• 


- 


5 


4 


•s 


) 

■J  r 


■ 


6 


■■■'■'. 


r 


-    •>» 


*#; 


y 


■ 


. 


\ 


THE  CONJUGATION  OF  THE  DIATOM  RHABDONEMA  ARCUATUM.       137 

5.  The  sporangial  or  zygospore-frustule  consists  of  two  valves, 
without  annuli,  which  have  a  length  ahout  thrice  that  of  the  valves 
of  the  female. 

With  regard  to  the  inducing  causes  of  conjugation  it  would 
appear  that  in  the  present  species  self-division,  which  gradually 
reduces  the  size  of  the  bounding  valves,  has  gone  on  so  long  that 
a  new  generation  becomes  necessary  to  maintain  the  size.  It  can 
scarcely  be  induced  by  any  extraneous  influence,  for  the  examples 
of  conjugation  occur  amidst  a  profusion  of  vigorously-growing 
filaments.  I  have  failed  to  discover  any  visible  cause  of  the  selec- 
tive adhesion  of  the  conjugating  individuals.  If  there  were  any 
viscous  coating  on  the  female  frustules  the  accidental  appulse  of  a 
male  frustule  might  fix  it  sufficiently  to  destroy  its  slight  cohesion 
to  its  fellows  by  its  one  isthmus.  I  have  generally  seen  the  male 
filaments  in  the  close  neighbourhood  of  a  conjugated  specimen,  and 
it  may  be  that  fortuitously  touching  the  female  the  attachment  is 
thus  induced. 

In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  remind  you  that  the  Diatomacece 
have  been  classed  as  the  highest  division  of  the  Conjugates  in  which 
no  sexual  difference  has  been  perceptible.  In  Rhabdonema,  with 
its  composite  frustule,  we  have  seen  that  the  conjugating  process 
is  also  (so  to  speak)  composite  as  well  as  distinctly  sexual.  We 
seem  to  have  here  a  step  towards — hardly  a  connecting  link  with 
— the  sexual  process  in  those  Algce  which  produce  antherozoids. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  PLATES. 

Plate  VII. 
Fig.  1. — Free  valve  of  Rhabdonema  arcuatum,  x  600. 

2. — Side  view  of  an  annul  us  with  its  projecting  plates,  x  600. 
3. — Free  end  of  a  male  filament,  the  last  6  frustules  being  semi-de- 
tached, x  200. 
,   4.— Male  frustule,  X  600. 

5. — Female  frustule  with  6  male  frustules  attached :  the  earliest  stage 

of  conjugation,  X  200. 
6. — Young  single  sporangium,  X  250. 
7. — Mature  ditto  ditto  with  new  frustule,  x  300. 

Plate  VIII. 

Fig.  1. — Double    sporangium   shewing  different  degrees    of  development, 
X  200. 
2. — Mature  ditto  ditto  with  2  new  frustules,  X  300. 


138 


Some  Remarkable  Moulds. 

By  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  &c. 

(Read  March  27th,  1885.) 

PLATES   IX.  &  X. 

It  may  be  of  some  interest  to  the  botanical  members  if  I  take 
this  opportunity  of  placing  before  them  figures  and  descriptions  of 
some  remarkable  moulds  which  have  come  within  my  recent  ex- 
perience. It  need  not  be  premised  that  one  great  difficulty  in  the 
determination  of  these  minute  and  fragile  fungi  lies  in  ascertaining 
the  mode  of  attachment  of  the  spores,  whether  singly  or  in  chains, 
whether  solitary  or  in  clusters.  This  applies  with  strongest  force 
to  specimens  sent  from  a  distance,  or  when  examined  some  months 
after  death  and  dessication.  Whenever  the  spores  can  be  induced 
to  germinate  on  rice  paste,  or  other  suitable  matrix,  and  a  cultiva- 
tion of  the  mould  artificially  is  successful,  this  great  difficulty 
vanishes,  but  it  is  by  no  means  an  easy  task  to  conduct  such  an 
artificial  cultivation  to  a  successful  termination. 

Basidiella  sph^erocarpa,  Cooke,  in  "  Grevillea"  vi.;  118. 

This  is  the  first  mould  to  which  I  would  refer  you.  It  was  found 
growing  in  black  woolly  patches  on  dead  and  decayed  roots  of  Glori- 
osa  svperba,  from  Madras.  The  roots  were  packed  in  a  closely- 
stoppered  bottle,  in  a  damp  state,  and  putrefied  in  that  condition. 
When  opened  the  mould  was  found  on  some  of  the  still  wet  and 
rotten  portions.  The  structure  of  this  mould  was  so  peculiar,  that  I 
felt  obliged  to.constitute  anew,  if  only  a  temporary,  genus  for  its  re- 
ception. The  larger  patches  were  composed  of  numerous  small  tufts 
or  fascicles,  of  club-shaped  brown  hyphae,  not  more  than  one-tenth 
of  a  millemetre  in  length,  the  clubs  themselves  being  about  -03  m. 
(or  30  micromillemetres)  in  thickness  above,  attenuated  to  about  5 
micromill.  at  the  base,  where  they  were  attached  to  the  creeping 
brown  mycelium.     Each  tuft  consisted  of  five  or  six,  sometimes 


M.  C.  COOKE  ON  SOME  REMARKABLE  MOULDS.        139 

more  and  sometimes  less,  of  these  club-shaped  stems,  which  showed 
no  septa,  but  were  covered  at  their  apices  with  slender  short  spi- 
cules, each  of  which  was  surmounted  by  a  solitary  globose,  dark- 
brown  spore,  some  4  micromill.  in  diameter,  with  a  minutely 
roughened  external  coat,  or  epispore. 

The  structure  and  habit  of  this  mould  differs  wholly  from  any 
of  the  genera  noted  by  Saccardo  in  his  "  Conspectus."  From  Zy~ 
godesmns  in  the  clavate  hypha?,  and  the  capitate  manner  in  which 
the  spores  are  produced,  and,  indeed,  from  all  other  genera  in  the 
capitate  spores,  except  only  Stachybotrys,  Periconia,  FucJcelina, 
Camptoum,  and  Acrotheca.  Of  these  five  genera  only  three  have 
globose  spores,  namely,  the  first  three  just  mentioned.  Stachybo- 
trys has  branched  slender  hypba?.  In  Periconia  the  hypha?  are 
slender,  and  solitary.  FucJcelina  is  to  me  a  genus  unknown,  be- 
yond the  description,  but  does  not  appear  to  be  the  same.  There 
was  therefore  no  other  alternative  but  to  give  it  a  new  station  and 
name. 

Sterigmatocystis  Ferruginea,  Cooke,  u  Grevillea"  viii.,  95. 

About  the  year  1878  I  received  from  my  friend,  Mr.  F.  Moore, 
the  pupa  of  an  Erie  silk  moth,  from  Cachar,  which,  had  covering 
the  greater  part  of  its  exterior,  a  bright  rust-coloured  mould,  to 
which  I  have  applied  the  above  name.  The  woolly  effused  patches 
of  the  mould  had  just  such  an  appearance  as  the  common  Asper- 
gillus glaucus  might  be  expected  to  have  if  it  were  dyed  of  a  bright 
rust-colour.  The  long,  slender,  septate  threads,  or  stems,  were 
about  one-hundredth  of  a  millemetre  in  thickness,  terminated  by  a 
globose  head  of  rusty-brown  spores,  the  stem  itself  being  trans- 
parent and  almost  colourless.  The  base  of  the  threads  was  effused 
in  a  matted  intricate  mycelium,  penetrating  through  the  joints  into 
the  pupa.  The  most  interesting  part  of  the  structure,  however,  was 
the  capitulum,  or  head  of  spores.  By  a  little  careful  manipulation 
it  soon  became  evident  that  the  supporting  hypha  was  expanded  at 
its  apex  into  a  globose  knob,  nearly  three  times  the  diameter  of  the 
thread.  This  was  surrounded  on  all  sides  by  a  compact  stratum  of 
wedge-shaped  bodies,  four  times  as  long  as  broad,  and  each  of  these 
bearing  on  its  summit  three  or  four  elliptical  cells,  which  cells  were 
individually  crowned  by  three  or  four  short  papilla?.  To  each  one 
of  these  papilla?  belonged  a  globose,  rough  spore,  nearly  one-hun- 
dredth of  a  millemetre  in  diameter,  or  about  the  thickness  of  the 


140  M.    C.    COOKE    ON    SOME    REMARKABLE    MOULDS. 

primary  thread  or  stem.  Evidently  it  was  impossible  to  demon- 
strate with  certainty  whether  the  spores  were  produced  solitary  at 
the  tips  of  the  papillae,  or  whether  in  chains.  No  evidence  could 
be  found  that  the  spores  were  ever  concatenate.  The  mould  would 
not  be  cultivated,  and  hence  uncertainty  must  attach  to  it  until 
found  again,  and  examined  under  more  favourable  conditions. 

The  first  doubt  which  naturally  presents  itself  is — whether  this 
species  belongs  to  either  Aspergillus  or  Sterigmatocystis,  since  it  is 
uncertain  whether  the  spores  were  ever  concatenate,  and  that  is  an 
essential  feature  in  these  two  genera.  It  can  only  be  permitted  to 
remain  with  a  note  of  interrogation.  The  rough  spores  would  only 
be  a  secondary  consideration.  This  mould  is  of  interest  as  being 
probably  one  confined  to  animal  substances  for  its  matrix,  but  even 
that  cannot  be  affirmed  with  confidence.  Hitherto  it  has  only  been 
seen  on  the  dead  pupae  of  Lepidoptera. 

Aspergillus  nigricans  (Auct.),  Cooke,  "  Grevillea"  vi.,  127. 

The  third  mould  to  which  I  would  refer  has  also  a  special  in- 
terest of  its  own,  from  having  been  found  on  the  human  subject. 
It  was  given  to  me  by  one  of  our  ex-presidents,  Mr.  Arthur  Dur- 
ham, now  some  years  ago,  and  was  found  inhabiting  the  meatus 
auditorius  of  the  human  ear.  I  am  uncertain  whether  it  is  the 
same  as  one  mentioned  in  the  "  Chicago  Medical  Journal,"  xxxiii., 
p.  913,  but  it  does  not  seem  to  be  the  same  as  the  A.  nigrescens  of 
Kobin.  The  hyaline,  uncoloured  supporting  hyphae  were  from  one 
to  two  millemetres  in  length,  and  about  one-hundredth  of  a  mille- 
metre  in  thickness,  seemingly  continuous  throughout  their  length, 
for  no  septum  could  be  detected.  The  apex  was  swollen,  in  a  glo- 
bose manner,  to  about  three  times  the  diameter  of  the  support, 
surrounded  on  all  sides  with  closely-packed,  radiating,  cylindrical 
cells,  about  six  times  as  long  as  broad,  and  with  a  diameter  equal 
to  that  of  the  spores.  To  each  of  these  radiating  cells  was  attached 
at  its  outward  extremity,  a  chain  of  globose,  smooth,  sootj'-coloured 
spores,  which  seemed  black  when  massed,  and  5  micromillemetres 
in  diameter.  The  entire  globose  heads,  including  spores,  measured 
about  one-tenth  of  a  millemetre. 

It  is  only  the  specific  identity  of  this  mould  which  is  in  question, 
but  I  did  not  feel  disposed,  with  the  doubts  in  my  own  mind,  to 
describe  it  as  a  new  species.  Nevertheless  it  cannot  fail  to  be  in- 
teresting as  a  human  parasite. 


M.    C.    COOKE    ON    SOME    REMARKABLE    MOULDS.  141 

POLYACTIS  DEPR.EDANS,   Cooke,  MSS* 

Some  six  or  seven  years  ago  I  noticed,  Allien  in  Norfolk,  that 
several  young  trees  of  Acer  jjseado-platanus,  growing  in  a  damp 
plantation,  presented  an  unusual  appearance,  from  the  flabbiness 
and  decoloration  of  the  leaves,  which  induced  me  to  collect  some 
for  examination,  the  results  of  which  I  will  now  endeavour  to  de- 
scribe. The  green  leaves  had  become  flaccid  and  rotten  whilst  still 
attached  to  the  tree  ;  the  whole  surface  blotched  with  greyish  spots, 
which  were  in  many  cases  confluent  over  a  great  portion  of  the 
leaf.  The  under  surface,  under  a  pocket  lens,  was  spotted  with 
minute  white  points,  like  the  head  of  a  small  pin.  These  points 
were  most  numerous  on,  and  almost  confined  to,  the  veins  of  the 
leaf.  Under  the  microscope,  these  minute  points  were  found  to  be 
the  globose  capituli,  or  heads,  of  a  small  parasitic  mould,  scattered 
over  the  under-surface  of  the  leaf,  with  its  delicate  mycelium  pene- 
trating into  the  substance.  The  heads  were  loosely  scattered,  and 
not  collected  in  tufts,  almost  wholly  confined  to  the  venation.  The 
hyphae,  or  threads,  short,  slender,  flexuous,  and  septate,  swollen  at 
the  apex,  where  one,  or  three  to  four  larger  cells  formed  the  basis, 
of  the  globular  head;  around  these  large  cells  were  clustered  a 
number  of  smaller,  elliptical  cells,  which  again  were  surmounted 
by  somewhat  triangular,  obtuse-cornered  cells,  and  these  divided  at 
the  apex  in  a  furcate  manner,  each  fork  divided  off  as  a  globose 
hyaline  spore.  Each  capitulum  was,  in  its  entirety,  about  one- 
tenth  of  a  millemetre  in  diameter,  and  the  spores  12  micromille- 
inetres. 

Some  of  these  leaves  were  placed  under  glass  and  kept  moist  for 
weeks,  when  a  very  peculiar  phenomenon  was  presented,  the  for- 
mation of  small  black  round  sclerotia  on  the  spots  occupied  pre- 
viously by  the  mould.  This  took  place  several  times,  and  was  re- 
ported as  a  curious  circumstance  to  my  friend  the  Rev.  M.  J. 
Berkeley.  It  would  not  be  surprising  for  a  Polyactis  to  be  de- 
veloped from  a  Sclerotium,  because  this  already  was  known  to  have 
taken  place,  but  for  a  Sclerotium  to  be  developed  from  a  Polyactis 
seemed  to  be  a  reversal  of  the  order  of  nature.     Pressure  of  other 

*  Maculis  griseis,  determinatis  vel  confluent ibns.  Hyphis  assurgentibus 
septatis,  flexuosis,  simplicibus,  ad  apicem  cellnlis  ellipticis,  basidiiforruibus 
coronatis,  capitnlo  globoso  sub-compacto,  conidiis  globosis  hyalinis,  '012 
mm.     Toto  albo. 

On  under  surface  of  leaves  of  Acer  pseudo-x>latanus,  which  it  destroys* 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  12.  m 


142       M.  C  COOKE  ON  SOME  REMARKABLE  MOULDS. 

matters  prevented  my  pursuing  the  cultivation  any  further,  and  I 
never  attempted  to  learn  what  was  the  ultimate  destination  of  the 
sclerotia. 

There  are  some  points  in  which  the  capituli  of  this  mould  differ 
in  their  composition  from  those  usual  in  Polyactis,  but  this  is 
merely  a  systematic  question  which  the  systematizers  must  settle 
for  themselves.  The  parasite  is  undoubtedly  an  injurious  one, 
extending  speedily  to  every  leaf  on  young  trees,  and  as  such  is 
worthy  of  its  name. 

Polyactis  truncata,  Cooke,  in  Bommers  "  Champignons  de 

Bruxelles^  p.   137. 

Advantage  may  be  taken  of  this  opportunity  to  give  details  of  a 
white  mould  on  the  fronds  of  ferns,  which  was  communicated  to 
me  from  Belgium  by  Madame  Bommer.  Although  placed  in  the 
same  genus,  it  differs  in  many  particulars  from  the  one  to  which  I 
have  just  alluded.  The  tufts  were  small,  and  consisted  of  but  a  few 
fertile  threads.  The  hyphae  slender,  flexuous  and  septate,  sur- 
mounted by  a  rather  irregular  subglobose  head.  When  the  spores 
were  removed  the  upper  portion  of  the  thread  which  formed  the 
capitulum  was  found  to  be  repeatedly  branched,  in  a  somewhat 
furcate  manner,  each  branch  being  very  short ;  the  ultimate  ramuli 
being  fastigiate,  or  digitate.  Each  minute  branchlet  bore  at  its 
extremity  an  elongated  elliptical,  but  abruptly  truncate  spore  ('02 
mm.  long  x  *007  mm.  broad).  When  the  spores  became  free  each 
end  was  truncate.  When  the  specimens  were  examined  I  was 
under  the  impression  that  the  truncate,  sometimes  concave,  ends 
of  the  spores  might  be  caused  by  the  falling  in,  or  collapse,  of  the 
thinner  extremities  of  the  epispore,  but  of  this  1  could  not  be 
assured. 

Although  there  is  a  determination  in  some  quarters  to  suppress 
the  genus  Polyactis  altogether,  for  the  sake  of  a  change,  I  have 
still  retained  these  names.  It  is  one  of  my  many  failings,  which 
some  friends  seldom  fail  in  reminding  me  of,  that  I  am  persistently 
heterodox,  inasmuch  as  I  will  not  shift  and  veer  in  all  directions, 
as  the  weathercock  has  done  with  us  every  day  during  this  bluster- 
ing month  of  March.  Such  mycological  veering  of  the  mycolo- 
gical  weathercock  being  determined  by  the  explosion  of  some  wind- 
bag in  some  corner  of  Continental  Europe.  These  incidental  words 
lead  me  still  further  to  protest  that  alterations  in  genera,  whether 


Journ.  Q.M.C 


' 


*/ 


M.C.C.dtl.'W.Rkit*.  sc. 


West  ..Newma-Ti  & 


REMARKABLE        MOULDS.      I. 


Journ.  Q.M.C. 


Ser.II.Vol.  2.PL  X. 


'MRh€v*.   s: 


"West  ITcvrtrictn,  &  C?  imp. 


REMARKABLE       MOULDS.     II. 


M.  C.  COOKE  ON  SOME  REMARKABLE  MOULDS.        143 

in  the  orthography,  or  in  its  constituent  elements,  are  not  an  ad- 
vancement of  science,  but  a  hindrance  ;  and  all  needless  multipli- 
cation of  synonyms  instead  of  a  blessing  is  nothing  less  than  a 
curse. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  THE  PLATES. 
PLATE  IX. 

Fig.  1. — Basidiella  splicer  ocarpa. — a,  Compound  heads,  slightly  magnified. 
b,  One  cluster,  magnified  about  300  diam.  c,  d,  Clavate  threads 
denuded  of  spores  x  400  diam.     e,  Spores  X  800  diam. 

FlG.  2. — Sterigmatocystis  ferruginea. — a,  Fertile  heads  slightly  magnified. 
b,  Head  and  upper  portion  of  stem  X  200  diam.  c,  Portion  of 
section  of  head  X  600  diam.  d,  e,  Supporting  cells  X  800  diam. 
/,  Spores  X  600  diam. 

Fig.  3. — Aspergillus  nigricans. — a,  Fertile  heads  slightly  magnified.  b, 
Three  heads  x  about  200  diam.  c,  Section  of  head  X  500.  d, 
Portion  of  section  showing  supporting  cells  X  800.  c,  A  sup- 
porting cell  with  chain  of  spores,  isolated. 

PLATE     X. 

Fig.  4. — Polyactis  deprcedans. — a,  Scattered  heads  on  nerve  of  leaf, 
slightly  magnified,  b,  Fertile  head,  magnified  400  diam.  c,  d, 
Supporting  cells  and  spores  X  500  diam. 

Fig.  5. — Polyactis  truncata. — a,  Fertile  heads  slightly  magnified,  b, 
Head  with  spores  in  situ  magnified  about  250  diam.  c,  Rami- 
fications of  the  head,  with  most  of  the  spores  removed,  d, 
Portion  with  spores  attached  X  500.  e,  Free  spores  X  400.  /, 
Free  spores  X  500.    g,  Two  spores  further  magnified. 


144 


PROCEEDINGS. 

January  9th,  1885. —  Conversational  Meeting. 

The  second  of  the  third  series  of  demonstrations  was  given  this  evening 
by  Mr.  B.  T.  Lowne,  P.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,  &c,  "  On  the  Structure  of  the  Eyes 
of  Arthropoda." 

After  explaining  the  manner  in  which  optical  images  are  formed,  Mr. 
Lowne  described  the  structure  of  the  compound  eye  in  insects,  and  gave  a 
resume  of  the  mosaic  theory  of  compound  vision,  as  expounded  in  the  classical 
work  of  Johannes  Midler.  The  lecturer  pointed  out  the  optical  difficulties 
resulting  from  this  theory,  as  it  is  received  by  Grenacher  and  others,  and 
then  proceeded  to  explain  his  own  views. 

He  regarded  the  whole  of  the  great  rods  and  the  structures  between  them 
and  the  cornea  as  dioptric  in  function. 

This  view  was  founded  on  microscopical  observations  and  physical  con- 
siderations. The  chief  new  points  he  insisted  upon  were  the  existence  of  a 
true  bacillary  layer,  rods  comparable  with  those  of  the  vertebrate  eye  beneath 
the  great  rods.  These,  with  the  optic  nerve  were,  according  to  his  obser- 
vations, frequently  separated  from  the  optical  portion  of  the  eye  by  a  con- 
tinuous non-perforated  membrane.  The  great  rods  consisted  of  tubes, 
which  the  lecturer  considered  as  very  thick  lenses  of  short  focal  length.  He 
stated  that  during  life  these  tubes  were  filled  with  an  oil-like  fluid,  which 
escaped,  leaving  the  empty,  shrivelled  tubes  when  the  eye  was  injured ; 
hence  the  very  various  appearances  described  by  different  authors.  Accord- 
ing to  Mr.  Lowne's  view,  the  great  rod  magnifies  and  erects  the  sub-corneal 
image,  and  has  its  posterior  focus  on  a  true  retina  comparable  with  that  of 
a  vertebrate.  In  the  course  of  the  discussion  which  followed,  the  lecturer 
stated  that  the  nervous  structures  of  the  insect's  eye  are  apparently  de- 
veloped, like  the  retina  of  a  vertebrate,  from  the  nervous  ganglia  as  an  out- 
growth,  whilst  the  optical  structures,  including  the  great  rods,  arise  as  a 
modification  of  the  sub-corneal  epithelium ;  and  he  explained  the  manner  in 
which  the  focal  length  of  the  lenses  formed  by  the  great  rods  could  be  cal- 
culated, and  the  close  correspondence  of  the  actual  and  calculated  distance 
of  the  retina  from  the  sub-corneal  image. 

For  further  details  Mr.  Lowne  referred  his  hearers  to  the  "  Trans.  Linn. 
Soc,"  Vol.  ii.,  pt.  11.,  New  Series 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  library  : — 

Circulation  in  the  egg  of  trout Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Crenulated  antenna  of  a  moth, Pyq&ra  bucephala,  ),___.       , 

'    JJ  l  hMivF.  Enock. 

retaining  natural  form  and  colour       ...         ...  * 

Parasite  of  seal,  //.  strongly  formes Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Acants,  sp Mr.  W.  Goodwin. 

Zoophytes,  from  Cape  Good  Hope  Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 


V 


145 

Sections  of  a  leech Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

Diatoms,  Navicula  mormonorum  ...  ...  ...     Mr,  H.  Morland. 

Head  of  tape-worm,  Tcenia  medio-canaliculata  ...     Mr.  W.  Watson. 
Attendance — Members,  63  ;  Visitors,  5. 


January    23rd,  1885. — Ordinary   Meeting. 

Dr.  W.  B.    Carpenter,    C.B.,   F.R.S.,   &c,    President,  in  the 

Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for   and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club,  Mr.  John  H.  Garner  and  Mr.  Edward  C.  Bousfield. 
The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  "      From  the  Society. 

"  Science  Gossip "...  ..,  ...  ...         ...         ,,        „     Publisher. 

"Science  Monthly"  „        „     Editor. 

"  Proceedings     of    the    Royal    Microscopical  i 

Society" f  »         »     Societ^ 

'American  Monthly  Microscopical   Journal"...     In  Exchange. 
"  American  Naturalist  "    ...  ...  ...  ...         ,,         „ 

"  Pamphlet  on  Law  and  Species,"  by  E.  Poulson     From  the  Author. 
"  Transactions   of    the    Northumberland    and  ~i 

Durham  Natural  History  Society  "...  J  "       "     Society- 

Nine  numbers  "  Linnean  Society's  Journal  "     ...     Mr.  Scholefield. 
Forty-three  Type  Slides  of  Oribatides  ...     Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  voted  to  the  donors,  and  a  special  vote  of 
thanks  to  Mr.  Michael  for  his  valuable  contribution  to  the  cabinet  was 
unanimously  passed. 

Dr.  G.  C.  Wallich  exhibited  and  described  his  condenser,  remarking,  how- 
ever, that  everything  depended  upon  getting  a  proper  light,  and  that  the 
gas  lamps  in  the  room  were  not  the  best  for  the  purpose. 

The  President  thought  it  would  be  better  to  reserve  a  critical  examina- 
tion of  the  apparatus  until  the  end  of  the  meeting,  when  the  large  lamp  on 
the  table  before  him  would  be  available  for  the  purpose.  He  was  sure  that 
every  worker  with  the  microscope  must  feel  the  value  of  anything  which 
would  give  an  increase  in  focal  depth,  as  hitherto  they  had  only  been  able 
to  get  it  by  reducing  the  aperture  of  their  objectives  ;  but  there  was  one 
very  curious  thing  about  the  Binocular  Microscope,  that  it  did  increase  very 
greatly  the  focal  depth.  He  had  tried  this  under  every  condition,  and  had 
always  found  it  to  be  so.  It  was  to  be  explained  to  a  certain  extent  by  the 
binocular  prism  halving  the  aperature  of  the  objective.  That,  however,  did 
not  explain  it  altogether ;  because  having  asked  a  friend  to  look  through  the 
binocular  with  one  eye  only,  the  prism  being  in  its  place,  and  to  focus  the 
objective  for  what  he  considered  to  be  a  medial  distance,  on  then  asking  him 
to  open  the  other  eye,  the  difference  in  the  depth  of  focus  had  been  at  once 
observed  ;  indeed,  it  was  considered  that  the  increase  amounted  to  at  least 
five   times.     He  had  talked  the  matter  over  with  his  friend,  Sir  Charles 


146 

Wheatstone,  but  they  could  never  come  to  any  satisfactory  conclusion.  Dr. 
Wallich  had  made  a  condenser  to  produce  a  certain  arrangement  of  the 
illuminating  raysj  and  if  it  proved  that  by  the  use  of  this  they  could 
employ  lenses  of  larger  aperture  and  still  get  the  same  depth  of  focus,  it 
would  be  of  very  great  value. 

Mr.  F.  Parsons  read  a  paper  "  On  a  Hydroid  Polyp  found  in  the  tank  at 
the  Royal  Botanic  Society's  Gardens,  at  the  Excursion  of  the  Club  in  April, 
1884,"  the  subject  being  illustrated  by  drawings  and  by  enlargements  from 
the  same  on  the  black  board. 

The  President  said  the  drawings  would  give  a  better  idea  of  the  or" 
ganism  than  what  was  on  the  board  ;  there  did  not  seem  to  be  any  appear- 
ance of  tentacles. 

Mr.  Hardy  enquired  if  Mr.  Bourne  had  seen  the  drawings  ?  If  not,  how 
did  he  know  the  polyps  were  the  same  ? 

Mr.  Michael  asked  for  what  length  of  time  any  individual  polyp  had  been 
watched  ?  because  it  was  quite  a  usual  thing  to  find  that  the  first  form  had 
only  the  rudiments  of  tentacles,  which  came  afterwards  by  a  process  of 
growth,  and  unless  the  specimens  were  kept  under  observation  it  was  not 
possible  to  know  that  they  might  not  have  tentacles  at  some  later  period  of 
their  lives. 

Mr.  Parsons  said  he  had  only  looked  at  one  polyp  during  one  evening  and 
had  not  isolated  it  for  continued  observation,  but  although  he  had  looked  at 
a  great  many  he  had  never  seen  such  a  thing  as  a  tentacle.  Still  it  was 
quite  possible  that  they  might  subsequently  develop. 

Mr.  Michael  said  it  was  of  course  quite  possible  that  they  might  not  do 
so,  but  it  would,  he  thought,  be  a  little  premature  to  say  they  never  would. 
It  was  often  very  easy  to  get  these  organisms  to  grow  to  a  certain  extent, 
and  then  from  want  of  favourable  conditions  nothing  further  could  be  got. 
He  should  be  inclined  to  say  that  as  far  as  their  information  went  at  present 
they  did  not  know  what  might  be  the  ultimate  form,  and  therefore  it  would 
be  premature  to  say  it  never  would  have  tentacles. 

Mr.  Parsons  said  he  should  be  very  glad  to  be  able  to  ascertain  the  facts 
and  would  keep  a  look  out  with  that  idea.  It  was,  however,  a  very  difficult 
matter  to  carry  out. 

A  Member  enquired  if  Mr.  Parsons  had  found  that  each  arm  of  the  bifid 
or  trifid  form  was  distinct  from  the  others,  or  was  there  any  connection  be- 
tween them  ? 

Mr.  Parsons  could  not  say,  but  he  rather  imagined  that  there  would  be  a 
constriction  formed,  and  after  that  they  would  separate.  He  conld  not  say 
if  there  was  a  canal  between  them. 

The  President  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Parsons  for  his  com- 
munication. It  was  known  to  all  that  this  matter  was  one  of  very  great 
interest  to  naturalists,  because  the  discovery  of  a  fresh  water  medusa 
caused  at  the  time  a  very  great  sensation,  and  it  was  always  felt  that  a 
hydroid  polyp  ought  to  be  found.  It  was  no  more  than  a  surmise  on  the 
parts  of  Mr.  Bourne  and  Professor  Lancaster  at  present,  and  therefore  Mr. 
Parsons  had  the  credit  of  having  seen  it  first.  It  was  a  curious  thing  that 
it  should  be  found  in  another  tank  beside  that  at  the  Victoria  Regia  house, 


147 

and  he  thought  it  might  be  a  question  worth  asking  whether  the  germs 
might  have  come  from  a  common  water  supply. 

Mr.  Parsons  said  the  plants  in  this  tank  were  sometimes  changed. 

Mr.  Michael  said  that  no  new  plant  had  been  put  Into  the  Victoria  Regia 
tank  for  some  years,  but  whether  plants  had  been  transferred  from  it  was 
of  course  another  matter. 

The  President  said  he  had  a  short  communication  to  make,  which  he 
thought  would  be  of  interest,  relating  to  the  discovery  by  his  friend  Pro- 
fessor Moseley  of  eyes  embedded  in  the  actual  shell  of  a  Mollusk.  He  had 
himself  during  some  investigations  made  40  years  ago  found  some  peculiar 
canals  in  the  shells  of  Chitons ;  he  had  only  the  dry  shells  to  work  upon,  and 
thought  at  the  time  that  some  organs  might  pass  into  them,  but  had  no  idea 
as  to  their  remarkable  character.  Mr.  Moseley  having  had  the  opportunity 
of  examining  a  specimen  of  Chiton  preserved  in  spirit,  had  made  this 
remarkable  discovery.  The  animal  was  very  like  the  common  Limpet  in  its 
anatomy ;  but  instead  of  having  a  simple  conical  or  oblong  univalve  shell,  it 
had  a  multivalve  shell.  The  small  Chitons  found  on  our  coasts  had  much  the 
same  kind  of  shell  as  the  common  woodlouse,  its  overlapping  valves  being 
jointed  so  that  the  animal  could  roll  itself  up.  It  was  found  that  in  certain 
Chitons  the  shells  had  two  sets  of  perforations,  one  large  and  the  other 
small.  The  large  orifices  contained  very  perfect  simple  eves,  of  a  rather 
prolonged  form;  each  having  a  calcareous  cornea,  behind  which  there  was 
a  crystalline  lens  with  an  iris,  and  then  a  vitreous  humor  and  a  retina. 
The  mouths  of  the  small  passages  were  filled  with  small  plugs  of  tissue, 
probably  constituting  organs  of  touch  ;  and  it  was  found  that  the  nerves 
of  these  eyes  and  the  nerves  of  the  small  tactile  organs  came  off  from 
the  same  plexus.  These  organs  did  not  occur  in  all  Chitons,  but  only  in 
those  of  tropical  seas ;  no  English  species  had  them.  Their  number  was 
most  extraordinary,  3,000  having  been  counted  on  a  single  anterior  valve, 
while  there  were  at  least  8,500  eyes  on  the  remainder.  This  multiplication 
of  eyes  was  certainly  a  most  remarkable  phenomenon,  and  was  not  a 
little  puzzling  to  understand.  The  Limpet,  which,  as  we  commonly  see  it, 
remained  firmly  fixed  to  the  rock  on  which  it  lived,  was  known  to  move 
about  when  the  tide  was  up,  and  to  go  in  search  of  food,  and  then  to  come 
back  again  to  its  place.  This  had  been  frequently  observed  j  but  how  it  was 
that  these  creatures  found  their  way  back  to  the  same  holes  again,  had 
never  been  satisfactorily  explained.  Perhaps  Dr.  Buckland's  observations 
on  certain  Snails  which  make  hollows  in  limestone  rocks,  might  apply  also  to 
Limpets.  He  thought  they  secreted  an  acid  ;  and  to  detect  this  he  made 
one  walk  over  a  blue  ribbon  stained  with  litmus,  and  he  found  that  in  doing 
so  it  left  a  red  stain.  His  idea  about  it  was  that  the  track  of  acid  mucus 
which  was  left  behind  them  formed  the  means  by  which  they  guided 
themselves  back  again.  But  if  Limpets  and  eyeless  Chitons  are  thus  guided, 
it  is  difficult  to  find  a  use  for  the  multiple  eyes  of  the  species  that  possess 
them.  The  President  thought  it  was  a  matter  of  some  little  historical 
interest  that  40  years  ago  he  had  detected  these  passages  in  the  shell,  of 
which  the  use  was  only  now  found.  He  would  illustrate  the  matter  by 
placing  under  the  microscope  in  the  room  some  of  the  shell-sections  which 


148 

he  made  40  years  ago,  and  also  some  of  Frofessor  Moseley's  preparations 
showing  the  nerve  trunks  passing  along  to  the  eyes,  which  looked  almost 
like  pears  upon  their  foot-stalks.  It  had  long  been  an  idea  amongst 
naturalists  that  the  Chiton,  on  account  of  its  peculiarities,  had  some  relation 
to  the  Articulata ;  and  in  this  discovery  there  occurred  another  curious 
point  of  analogy.  The  plates  in  illustration  of  Professor  Moseley's  paper 
would  be  printed  in  the  next  number  of  the  "  Quarterly  Journal  of  Micro- 
scopical Science." 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  said  he  wished  to  bring  a  small  "  brass  and  glass  " 
matter  before  the  notice  of  the  meeting,  and  that  was  a  stop  for  an  Abbe 
Achromatic  Condenser.  It  gave  1*25  numerical  aperture,  or  1*3  with  a 
Powell  Condenser.  He  was  exhibiting  it  that  evening,  and  the  results 
were  most  satisfactory.  The  highest  resolving  power,  he  found,  was  ob- 
tained just  before  the  field  began  to  get  dark. 

Another  matter  he  wished  to  notice,  was  the  fact  that  the  cholera  bacillus 
was  found  to  be  a  beaded  structure,  the  same  as  observed  in  the  case  of 
the  tubercle  bacillus.  Mr.  Watson  Cheyne  had  found  this  to  be  so,  and  he 
(Mr.  Nelson)  had  also  carefully  examined  it  with  the  dark  ground  illumina- 
tion and  found  it  to  be  most  remarkably  distinct. 

The  President  said  that  finding  that  Nachet's  small  Portable  Microscope 
had  not  been  exhibited  at  the  Club,  he  had  brought  it  down  to  the  meeting, 
and  would  exhibit  his  specimens  under  it.  He  then  exhibited  and  described 
the  instrument,  showing  the  method  of  setting  it  up  and  of  changing  the 
compound  body  for  the  simple  arm  for  dissecting  purposes,  and  also  the 
method  adopted  for  quickly  changing  the  objectives. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c.,for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione,  and  the  follow- 
ing objects  were  exhibited,  in  addition  to  those  shown  by  the  President  : — 

Condylostoma  patens  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Spine  of  Skate         Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

Pollen,  Lilium  longifolium  ...     Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Section  of  Shell  of  Haliotis  Mr.  C.  Le  Pelley. 

Diatoms  from  Campeachy  Bay     ...     Mr.  W.  Watson. 

A  new  Condenser Dr.  Wallich. 

Attendance — Members,  60  ;  Visitors,  5. 


February  13th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  third  demonstration  of  the  series  was  given  by  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke, 
M.A.,  A.L.S.,  &c,  the  subject  being,  "  Collecting,  Examining,  and  Preserv- 
ing Fresh  Water  Algse." 

Dr.  Cooke  premised  that  he  should  group  his  observations  and  illustra- 
tions under  seven  heads,  in  order  to  facilitate  their  impression  upon  the 
memory. 

I.  Definition. — "  Fresh  Water  Algae  "  was  a  purely  artificial  arrangement 
made  solely  for  the  convenience  of  those  who  desired  to  study  the  inland  to 
the  exclusion  of  Marine  Alga?.  This  group  was  held  to  include  such  as  were 
found  in  fresh   and    brackish  water,  as  well  as  those  inhabiting  the  face  of 


149 

moist  rocks,  damp  soil,  or  the  bark  of  trees.  He  then  proceeded  to  give  the 
best  general  description  available  of  what  were  the  principal  attributes  of 
Algae,  as  distinguished  from  Fungi  and  other  of  the  cellular  Cryptogams,  at 
the  same  time  intimating  that  no  brief  definition  would  be  absolutely  per- 
fect and  without  exception. 

II.  Distribution. — The  places  in  which  to  find  Fresh  Water  Algae  were 
stated  to  be  those  in  which  a  constant  state  of  moisture  was  pi*esent,  such  as 
the  dripping  face  of  rocks,  damp  walls ;  flower-pots,  benches,  and  walls  in 
conservatories  and  hot-houses  ;  water-tanks  and  cisterns  ;  small  streams  of 
waste  warm  water  from  factories  and  steam  engines  ;  ground  often  inun- 
dated, or  subject  to  the  overflow  of  tides;  little  pools  and  ponds  ;  stagnant 
or  slowly-flowing  ditches  and  streamlets ;  dead  submerged  plants,  branches, 
timber  and  stones  ;  and  amongst  moss  and  sphagnum  in  bogs.  It  was  little 
better  than  waste  of  time  to  seek  for  Algae  in  swift  streams  or  torrents, 
save  on  the  rocks  in  their  vicinity  which  were  subject  to  the  spray,  or 
steady  dripping. 

III.  Collection. — But  little  preparation  and  but  few  implements  were 
required  for  their  collection.  Those  on  the  face  of  rocks  or  walls  could  be 
best  removed  by  a  flexible  palette-knife,  such  as  used  by  artists.  An  iron 
spoon  was  very  useful  in  skimming  floating  Algae  from  small  pools  amongst 
sphagnum,  particularly  such  as  Desmids.  The  ordinary  collecting  bottle 
and  stick  would  be  often  useful  for  dipping  amongst  the  vegetation  in  ponds, 
and  a  small  net  of  muslin,  stretched  over  a  metal  ring  of  some  six  inches 
diameter,  and  mounted  on  a  collecting-rod,  would  assist  in  collecting  the 
floating  scum  and  filamentous  Algae  on  the  surface  of  ponds.  Hooks  and 
drags  were  of  little  use,  as  the  majority  of  the  filamentous  Algae  are  only 
attached  in  the  early  part  of  their  history,  becoming  detached  and  floating 
previous  to  fructification,  when  only  they  could  be  satisfactorily  determined. 
In  addition  to  collecting  tubes,  in  which  each  gathering  should  be  kept  by 
itself,  he  recommended  small  squares  of  thin  gutta  percha  tissue,  to  be 
obtained  at  any  indiarubber  or  gutta  percha  shop,  and  cut  to  about  six  inches 
square,  as  exceedingly  useful  both  for  collection  and  transmission  by  post. 
When  folded  the  contents  would  remain  moist  and  fresh  for  several  days, 
Failing  this,  even  squares  of  firm  writing  paper  would  answer  admirably, 
but  the  specimens  should  be  taken  out  and  transferred  to  water  on  reaching 
home. 

IV.  Examination. — Small  white  artists'  saucers  were  recommended  to 
receive  each  "  gathering  "  at  the  close  of  the  day.  Algae  collected  from 
soil  or  rocks  should  be  cleared  as  much  as  possible  from  fragments  of  sand. 
Filamentous  Algae  could  be  transferred  successively  to  clean  waters  to  re- 
move all  extraneous  matter.  A  bunch  of  Sphagnum  shaken  in  a  bottle  of 
water,  and  then  removed,  would  often  leave  behind  a  good  collection  of 
minute  floating  species.  Large  species  may  be  picked  out  from  a  saucer, 
with  a  clean  camel-hair  pencil,  by  using  a  pocket  lens.  Only  clear  water 
requisite  to  examine  provisionally  the  gatherings  under  a  microscope.  Re- 
commended to  use  first  a  2-inch  or  1-inch  objective,  and  then  A-inch.  The 
demonstrator  always  had  two  small  working  microscopes  beside  him,  with 
these  powers,  and  had  only  to  pass  from  the  one   instrument   to  the  other, 


150 

without  the  inconvenience  of  nose-pieces  and  readjustment.  A  fixed  camera 
was  a  great  advantage,  so  that  a  drawing  or  rough  sketch  could  be  made  at 
once.  Sketches  strongly  recommeuded,  and  taking  measurements  accu- 
rately either  by  means  of  an  eyepiece  micrometer,  or  a  camera  lucida  sketch 
of  known  proportions. 

V.  Determination. — In  order  to  determine  the  names  of  collected  Algae 
no  royal  l'oad  could  be  indicated.  The  only  method,  safe  and  sure,  was  by 
a  scientific  process,  and  not  empirically.  The  fructification  by  all  means 
essential.  The  genus  must  be  determined,  through  the  fructification,  com- 
bined with  the  vegetative  characters,  and  after  that  there  would  be  com- 
paratively little  difficulty,  with  the  aid  of  a  manual.  The  great  difficulty 
usually  was  occasioned  by  the  imperfect  condition  of  the  specimens.  Re- 
agents often  useful  in  very  hyaline  objects  before  the  outline  can  be  dis- 
tinctly made  out.     The  aniline  dyes  readily  available  for  this  purpose. 

VI.  Preservation. — Two  kinds  of  preparation  in  vogue,  the  preservation 
of  portions  for  the  microscope,  and  the  preservation  of  entire  plants  for  the 
herbarium.  Thin  filaments  of  mica,  most  to  be  commended  for  preserving 
the  more  minute  species  for  the  herbarium.  Large  filamentous  algee  to  be 
washed  clean  and  floated  out  on  squares  of  paper  and  dried,  in  the  manner 
adopted  for  marine  algse.  The  majority  of  species  are  gelatinous  enough 
to  adhere  of  themselves  to  the  paper  when  dry.  For  microscopic  prepara- 
tions the  chief  difficulty  is  the  fluid  medium.  Too  dense  a  medium  will  at 
once  cause  the  endochrome  to  collapse,  and  the  cell-walls  to  be  distorted. 
Most  persons  are  content  with  the  water  in  which  the  specimens  were  grow- 
ing, with  just  a  tinge  of  creosote.  He  had  seen  specimens  mounted  in  this 
manner,  after  twelve  years  in  the  cabinet,  as  fresh-looking  as  though  col- 
lected the  day  previously.  Calcium  chloride  has  also  been  recommended, 
and  in  many  cases,  where  no  green  colour  has  to  be  kept,  may  be  used  with 
advantage.  Glycerine,  by  its  density,  distorts  most  forms  of  Alga3.  In  all 
cases  mounted  Algse  must  not  be  exposed  to  the  light  of  day,  or  the  colour 
will  vanish. 

VII.  Cultivation. — These  organisms  are  most  interesting  for  cultivation. 
Small  aquaria  may  be  extemporized  of  glass  tumblers,  placed  at  different 
elevations.  Connected  to  each  other  by  thinly  twisted  cotton  threads  as 
syphons,  a  constant  change  of  water  can  be  kept  up  from  the  highest  to  the 
lowest  tumbler,  and  the  whole  life-history  of  species  watched  at  home. 
Growing  slides  of  various  forms  have  been  devised,  each  with  some  special 
advantage.  Terrestrial  species  will  for  a  long  time  retain  their  freshness 
on  damp  sand  or  wet  flannel,  under  small  bell  glasses  or  inverted  tumblers. 
No  objects  in  the  whole  round  of  animated  nature  are  so  capable  of  being 
placed  in  natural  conditions,  and  submitting  to  artificial  cultivation. 

The  implements  and  instruments  necessary  were  exhibited,  and  alluded 
to  in  conjunction  with  their  application  in  the  above  sections. 
The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  Library  : — 

Difflugia  pyriformis  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

T.  S.  Whisker  of  Cat  Mr.  E.  C.  Bousfield. 

Isinglass,  polarized...  ^r«  A.  L.  Corbett. 

Podophyra,  sp Mr.  C.  J.  Dunning. 


151 


Head  of  Andrena,  showing  parts  of  the  mouth 

in  their  natural  form  and  colour 
Algje.     Drapernaldia  plumosa 
Chironomtis  prasin  us 
Argidus  foliaceus 
Diatoms.     Surirella  dementis 
Parasite  of  Crane    ... 
Foraminifera... 


■} 


Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 
Mr.  H.  Hammond. 
Mr.  T.  J.  McManis. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  A.  C.  Tipple. 
Mr.  W.  Watson. 


Attendance — Members,  27  ;  Visitors,  16. 


>» 


>> 


>> 


»> 


In  exchange. 


> 


February   27th,  1885. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club:— Revel.  W.  W.  Fowler,  Mr.  J.  W.  Stevenson,  Mr.  A.H.  Ward,  Mr. 
J.  C.  Warwick,  Mr.  B.  H.  Woodward,  Mr.  P.  W.  Wall,  Mr.  E.  K.  Jaques,and 
Mr.  C.  Upton. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced : — 

"Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society"     From  the  Society. 
"Proceedings  of  the  Geologists'  Association" 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Hertfordshire  Natural  ) 
History  Society"        ...         ...  ...  ■> 

"  The     American     Monthly    Microscopical  •> 
Journal "  ...  ...  ...  ...  j 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Belgian  Microscopical  \ 

Society'' 
"  The  American  Naturalist  " 
Vol.  XI.  "  Challenger  Reports  " 

One  Slide  of  Surirella  dementis 

Six  Slides  of  Foraminifera 

60  Slides  of  Diatomaceas 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  Secretary  having  called  special  attention  to  the  very  beautiful  series 

of  slides  of  Foraminifera  presented  by  Mr.  Tipple,  and  also  to  those  of 

Diatomacese — prepared  from  the  material  of  Professor  Smith,  and  therefore 

illustrative  of  his  work  on  the  subject — presented  by   Mr.   Sturt,  special 

votes  of  thanks  were  passed,  on  the  motion  of  the  President. 

Mr.  Buffhamreada  paper  "  On  the  Conjugation  of  Rhabdonema  arcuatum," 
the  subject  being  illustrated  by  numerous  coloured  diagrams,  and  also  by 
pasteboard  models  of  the  compound  frustules. 

Mr.  W.  H.  Gilburt  said  he  had  been  extremely  pleased  to  be  allowed  to 
go  through  this  subject  with  his  friend  Mr.  Buff  ham,  and  he  quite  agreed 
with  him  as  to  his  earlier  remarks,  especially  as  to  the  distinctive 
filaments — which  he  had  called  the  male  filaments  or  frustules 
— he  had  seen  not  only  single  ones  attached,  but  also  a  chain  of 
them.     He  could,  however,  scarcely  agree  that  the  fertilizing  matter  was 


Purchased. 

From  Mr  H.  Morland. 

„     Mr.  Tipple. 

„     Mr.  G.  Sturt. 


152 

conveyed  to  the  female  filaments  in  the  manner  suggested ;  he  thought  that 
the  case  was  more  likely  to  be  a  parallel  one  to  that  of  plants,  where  the 
pollen  of  the  male  flowers  was  produced  in  great  quantity  because  it  was 
most  likely  that  some  of  it  would  get  lost,  and  therefore  a  large  supply  was 
provided.  He  thought  it  was  quite  likely  that  a  similar  arrangement  held 
good  in  the  case  before  them,  only  that  as  the  fertilizing  element  was 
thrown  out  into  the  water  many  frustules  were  provided  in  order  that  some 
of  them  at  least  might  get  some  of  it.  In  all  the  male  frustules  it  would 
be  found  that  after  fertilization  a  division  into  two  parts  took  place,  the 
upper  half  falling  away — and  it  would  also  appear  that  after  contact  there 
was  an  opening  through  which  the  fertilizing  medium  might  escape.  He 
had  little  doubt  that  the  fertilizing  medium  being  quite  free  came  into  con- 
tact  with  the  non-silicious  band  and  passed  through  it. 

The  President  said  he  had  never  made  diatoms  a  special  study  himself, 
but  Mr.  Thwaites  was  an  early  friend  and  pupil  of  his,  and  it  was  very  much 
in  consequence  of  his  earnest  recommendation  that  he  should  take  up  the 
study  of  the  unicellular  plants,  that  the  observations  were  commenced 
which  led  to  the  discovery  of  conjugation — and  during  the  interval  of  45 
years  very  little  beyond  this  seemed  to  have  been  done.  He  had  always 
said  that  if  one-tenth  part  of  the  time  had  been  given  to  the  life  history  of 
these  forms  which  had  been  spent  in  trying  to  make  out  the  strige  on  their 
valves,  very  much  better  results  would  no  doubt  have  followed.  He  did 
not  recollect  anything  at  all  approaching  to  the  description  which  Mr. 
Buffham  had  given  of  these  males  attaching  themselves  to  the  female  forms. 
The  nearest  thing  seemed  to  be  what  was  seen  in  the  case  of  the  conjugatas, 
where  in  one  group  the  endochromes  of  both  discharge  themselves  into  the 
intermediate  space ;  or,  on  the  other  hand,  in  those  cases  where  the 
endochrome  of  one  filament  passed  over  into  the  cells  of  the  other  filament. 
He  thought,  however,  that  there  had  been  something  lately  recorded  in  the 
"  Journal  of  the  Eoyal  Microscopical  Society  "  which  tended  to  show  that 
this  was  not  quite  correct,  and  this  had  rather  sent  them  adrift  again  upon 
the  question.  If  the  observations  which  had  been  described  that  evening 
should  prove  to  be  the  first  indication  of  sexuality  it  would  be  of  the 
greatest  importance.  What  was  now  wanted  was  some  information  as  to 
the  existence  of  a  distinct  opening  being  formed,  so  that  it  could  be  affirmed 
that  there  was  an  actual  passage.  Mr.  Buffham  inferred  that  there  was, 
because  of  the  effects  which  took  place  ;  but  he  should  very  much  like  to 
know  that  it  had  been  proved  by  observation.  He  hoped  that  Mr.  Buffham 
would  devote  further  attention  to  this  point,  which  he  regarded  as  one  of 
the  very  highest  interest ;  if  proved  it  would  form  one  of  the  pregnant  facts 
of  biology ;  and  such  being  the  case,  it  was  worth  any  amount  of  attention 
which  it  was  possible  to  bestow  upon  it.  He  could  only  express  the  very 
highest  sense  of  the  value  of  such  an  observation. 

Mr.  Buffham  said  with  regard  to  the  point  on  which  Dr.  Carpenter  had 
some  doubt,  he  could  only  ask,  how  was  it  possible  to  account  for  the  facts 
except  by  taking  his  view  of  the  attached  frustules  ?  And  why  should 
they  lose  their  vitality  in  the  way  he  had  described  ?  Absolutely  without 
exception  they  had  never  observed  the  formation  of  sporangia  unless  they 


153 

conld  find  either  the  male  frustules,  or  the  scars  left  by  them.  With 
regard,  also,  to  Mr.  Gilburt's  remark,  he  did  not  wish  to  deny  that  if  the 
male  frustules  had  not  been  present  they  would  not  have  gone  on  dividing. 

Mr.  Gilburt  said  it  would  of  course  be  of  great  interest  to  see  the  passage 
if  possible,  though  he  did  not  think  that  the  mode  of  fertilization  would  be 
disproved  even  if  the  passage  was  non-existent,  because  it  should  be  re- 
membered that  in  its  earlier  growth  the  band  did  not  contain  silex. 

Mr.  Buffham  said  this  was  so,  and  the  idea  therefore  was  that  the  process 
might  be  carried  on  through  the  sutures. 

Mr.  Michael  enquired  how  the  exact  form  of  the  partition,  as  shown  in 
the  model,  was  ascertained.  The  shape  was  very  remarkable,  and  he 
shonld  like  to  know  whether  it  could  be  seen,  or  if  not,  how  it  was  found  to 
be  so  shaped  ? 

Mr.  Buffham  said  he  had  a  slide  under  a  microscope  in  the  room  which 
contained  a  number  of  the  frustules,  some  of  which  were  attached,  others 
lying  loose  ;  by  careful  focussing  on  the  loose  ones,  it  was  quite  possible  to 
see  this  shape.  He  might  add  that  Professor  Smith  was  quite  in  accord- 
ance with  him  as  to  the  observation. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  exhibited  and  described  a  rotating  nose-piece,  and  also 
a  condenser.  With  regard  to  the  former,  he  said  he  had  frequently  thought 
that  an  object  glass  performed  differently  as  an  object  was  presented  to  it  in 
different  azimuths.  It  had,  however,  occurred  to  him  that  this  might  be 
due  to  the  objective  itself  rather  than  to  the  altered  position  of  the  object 
as  regarded  the  light.  Wishing,  therefore,  to  test  this,  he  had  devised  a 
rotating  nose-piece,  by  means  of  which,  without  shifting  the  object,  the 
objective  could  be  turned  upon  its  axis  and  used  in  different  sectors.  On 
trying  the  effect  of  this  with  a  glass  which  was  believed  to  be  of  first- 
rate  quality,  he  found  that  whilst  in  one  position  it  would  resolve  amphi- 
pleura  perfectly,  it  altogether  failed  to  do  so  at  another  angle,  showing 
clearly  that  there  was  a  difference  in  different  azimuths.  He  thought  this 
might  account  for  the  fact  that  there  seemed  to  be  so  much  difference  of 
opinion  as  to  the  performance  of  certain  objectives  when  used  upon  different 
microscopes,  and  he  suggested  the  desirability  of  being  provided  with  a 
simple  contrivance  such  as  he  exhibited,  in  order  to  test  objectives  in  all 
azimuths,  especially  when  about  to  purchase  an  expensive  one — say  at  =£40. 
He  also  exhibited  a  simple  form  of  stage  condenser,  designed  for  small 
cheap  microscopes.  It  consisted  of  a  meniscus  lens,  and  a  bi-convex  lens, 
put  into  a  tube  which  was  made  to  slide  in  another  tube  by  means  of  a 
spiral  slit,  so  that  it  worked  up  and  down  quite  smoothly  in  the  same  way 
as  a  common  pencil-case.  The  great  increase  in  the  amount  of  light  was 
remarkable. 

The  President  said  there  could  be  no  question  about  the  great  improve- 
ment in  the  light.  The  form  of  lenses  was  that  of  Herschell's  doublet, 
which  he  might  say  he  had  used  himself  for  that  purpose  nearly  50  years 
ago,  long  before  achromatic  condensers  were  thought  of.  He  had  had  it 
applied  to  his  Chevallier  microscope  as  a  condenser,  having  felt  the  want  of 
more  light — its  efficiency  for  the  purpose  was  so  great  that  he  should  re- 
commend it  to  everyone. 


154 

Mr.  C.  Beck,  in  reply  to  the  President,  said  that  their  objectives  were 
always  tested  by  focussing  upon  a  podura  scale,  and  altering  the  position  of 
the  scale  so  as  to  examine  it  in  all  directions.  It  was  very  easy  to  get  an 
objective  which  would  show  the  scale  very  well  in  one  position,  but  not  in 
others  also. 

Mr.  Nelson  said  that  perfect  accuracy  could  not  be  obtained  in  that  way, 
because  as  the  light  did  not  proceed  from  a  point,  the  cone  of  light  was  not 
really  a  cone,  as  they  would  find  if  they  tried  the  image  of  the  flame  of  a 
lamp  end-ways  or  flat-way ;  if  in  the  former  case  the  definition  was  good 
they  would  find  that  there  would  be  in  the  latter  case  a  loss  of  intensity 
which  would  spoil  the  definition. 

Mr.  Beck  said  that  they  endeavoured  to  get  it  true  for  central  light  by 
having  a  cone  of  light  accurately  centred. 

Mr.  Michael  said  it  was  clear  to  him  that  Mr.  Nelson  was  right  in  saying 
that  turning  the  podure  scala  was  not  by  any  means  the  same  thing  as 
turning  the  objective  ;  to  make  it  so  it  would  be  necessary  to  turn  the  light 
also,  otherwise  the  test-object  would  be  viewed  under  different  conditions 
in  different  positions.  Though  they  might  have  central  light  to  the  objec- 
tive all  the  time,  it  might  not  be  also  central  light  to  the  object. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  his  communica- 
tion. 

Mr.  C.  Beck  exhibited  and  described  a  new  serial  section  cutting  machine, 
designed  to  meet  the  want  of  some  reliable  instrument  which  would  cut 
any  number  of  consecutive  sections  of  a  specimen  and  preserve  them  in 
exactly  the  same  order  in  which  they  were  cut.  The  importance  of  being 
able  to  do  this  was  very  great  in  many  kinds  of  investigation,  and  the  in- 
strument exhibited  was  designed  to  do  all  the  work  of  the  Cambridge 
machine,  but  at  considerably  less  cost,  It  was  not  yet  perfect,  but  still  it 
did  its  work  so  well  as  to  merit  attention.  Sections  could  be  cut  of  various 
thicknesses,  and  accessories  for  freezing  were  supplied  with  it. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then 
made,  and  the  proceedings  terminated  in  the  usual  manner  by  a  Con- 
versazione, at  which  the  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Ichneumon  fly  ...         Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

V.  S.  cochlea  of  a  kitten Mr.  E.  C.  Bousfield. 

Diatoms,  Mhabdonema  arcuatum  (in  conjugation)     Mr.  T.  H.  Buffham. 

Scale  of  Lady-fish  from  Bombay  ...         ...         ...     Mr.  H.  Epps. 

Section  of  Coniferous  Wood  (fossil)         ...         ...     Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

Epidermis  of  mistletoe      ...  ...  ...         ...     Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Diaptomus  Westwoodii        ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Nevina. 

CIvelifer  museorum  ...         ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  A.  C.  Tipple. 

Attendance — Members,  64  ;  Visitors,  6. 


155 

March    13th,  1885. — Conversational   Meeting. 

The  fourth  of  the  series  of  demonstrations  was  given  by  Dr.  T.  Spencer 
Cobbold,  F.K.S.,  F.L.S..  &c,  late  President  of  the  Quekett  Microscopical 
Club,  "  On  Lung  Parasites."  The  following  is  the  substance  of  his  re- 
marks : — 

I  have  chosen  the  subject  of  lung  parasites  for  our  demonstration  this 
evening  because  it  possesses  both  practical  and  scientific  bearings. 

Beyond  the  generally  recognised  fact  that  the  so-called  bronchial  filarias 
are  destructive  to  our  flocks  and  herds,  and  that  strongyloid  worms  belong- 
ing to  the  genus  Syngamus  prove  fatal  to  our  fowls  and  game-birds,  there 
are  few  persons  who  possess  any  adequate  conception  of  the  variety  and 
multitude  of  entozoa  that  give  rise  to  lung  disease. 

I  do  not  speak  of  microbes,  bacteria,  and  other  microphytic  organisms, 
though,  like  other  observers,  I  constantly  encounter  them  in  a  casual  way. 
Neither  with  these,  nor  with  the  more  highly  organised  gregarines  and 
psorosperms,  have  1  anything  to  do  at  present. 

All  the  great  groups  of  the  higher  forms  of  entozoa,  including  the 
Helminths  proper,  have,  with  one  exception,  their  lung-infesting  repre- 
sentatives, so  to  speak. 

If  time  permitted,  I  could  show  you  flukes  that  produce  blood-spitting 
(haemoptysis)  in  man,  and  there  are  other  fluke-species  that  are  constantly 
present  and  productive  of  mischief  amongst  animals.  These  lung-parasites 
represent  the  order  Trematoda.  Similarly,  I  could  also  present  various 
bladder-worms  (Hydatids,  Coenuri,  Cysticerci,  &c.)  that  have  been  removed 
from  the  lungs  of  man  and  animals.  These,  as  tapeworm  larvae,  represent 
the  order  Cestoda. 

Again,  another  singular  group  of  parasites,  the  Pentastomes,  are  in 
certain  of  the  lower  vertebrata  constant  occupants  of  the  lungs  and  air 
passages,  not  unfrequently  proving  fatal  to  their  bearers.  These  repre- 
sent the  order  Acanthotheca. 

In  the  production  of  lung  disease,  however,  it  is  the  filaria-like  round- 
worms, the  Strongyles  especially,  that  are  far  and  away  the  most  numerous 
and  important.  It  is  to  these,  therefore,  as  representing  the  order 
Nematoda,  that  I  now  more  particularly  invite  your  attention.  It  would 
take  a  long  time  to  enumerate  all  the  species  of  pulmonary  nematodes. 
Suffice  it  to  say,  that  they  abound  in  cattle  and  sheep,  in  antelopes,  camels, 
and  deer,  in  horses  and  other  solipeds,  and  notably  in  the  cetacea.  They 
are  frequent  in  the  smaller  carnivora,  especially  in  cats  ;  rarely  producing 
lung  affections  in  the  dog,  except  in  cases  where  the  left  side  of  the  heart 
and  pulmonary  vessels  are  involved. 

From  amongst  all  the  species  I  select  one  parasite  only  for  special  con- 
sideration, namely,  Olulanus  tricuspis.  Every  now  and  then  we  hear  of 
epidemics  affecting  our  house-cats.  Some  of  these  outbreaks  are  due  to 
parasites,  some  to  other  causes.  At  least  four  distinct  kinds  of  parasitic 
epizobty  are  known  to  me  as  affecting  cats.  One  of  these  outbreaks 
which  occurred  in  Sweden  some  years  back  was  described  in  the  public 
journals  as  due  to  Trichinosis.     A  large  number  of  cats  perished, 


L56 

Here  I  may  remark,  that  when  young  micro scopists  stumble  upon  little 
worms  coiled  up  in  cysts  and  occupying  the  tissues  of  any  animal,  they  are 
very  apt  to  jump  to  the  conclusion  that  they  have  discovered  instances  of 
the  trichina  disease.  At  least  a  score  of  such  fancied  discoveries,  affecting 
widely  differing  classes  of  animals,  have  been  published  as  genuine  examples 
of  Trichinosis.  Perhaps  the  most  stupid  and  foolish  announcement  that 
was  ever  made  on  this  subject  is  that  which  concerned  the  alleged  "  Out- 
break of  Trichinosis  on  board  the  training-ship  '  Cornwall.'  "  This  ridiculous 
"out-put"  by  the  Local  Government  Board — this  genuine  mare's-nest,  as 
we  may  call  it — occupied  the  attention  of  the  wise-acres  of  both  Houses  of 
Parliament ;  nevertheless,  about  three  months  before  the  Board  published 
their  "  Report,"  I  stated  in  the  Times  newspaper,  and  also  publicly  in  St. 
George's  Hall,  that  the  so-called  Trichinae  (detected  in  the  exhumed  body  of 
the  lad  who  died)  were  neither  more  nor  less  than  rhabditiform  nematoids, 
probably  accidentally  introduced.  This  conclusion  proved  to  be  substan- 
tially correct. 

My  first  acquaintance  with  the  larvse  of  Olulanus  tricuspis  dates  some  35 
years  back;  that  is  to  say,  long  before  the  publication  of  Leuckart's  descrip- 
tion of  the  adult  worm. 

Whilst  at  work  in  the  Anatomical  Museum  of  the  University  of  Edin- 
burgh, as  curator,  a  young  cat  in  my  room  suddenly  rushed  about  and 
finally  fell  dead,  asphyxiated.  Whilst  it  was  yet  warm  I  dissected  its 
body,  and  never  from  that  day  to  this  have  I  seen  so  remarkable  a  display 
of  lung-parasites.  Tens  of  thousands  of  embryonic  nematoids  lay  coiled  in 
cysts  occupying  every  part  of  both  lungs.  The  parasites  were  moving 
freely  within  the  cysts,  and  the  tissues  were  so  fully  infested  that  those 
air-cells  which  were  not  actually  invaded  were  so  compressed  as  to  pro- 
duce general  obstruction  (hepatisation).  Drawings  were  made  at  the  time, 
but  I  retain  no  specimens  from  that  particular  case. 

However,  from  another  instance  of  the  same  disease  I  am  enabled, 
through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  J.  W.  Groves,  F.R.M.S.,  to  show  you  some 
beautiful  stained  sections  of  a  lung  infested  by  these  little  entozoa.  If 
you  compare  Mr.  Grove's  sections  with  the  illustration  suspended  on  the 
wall,  you  will  perceive  that  the  appearances  presented  by  the  worms  and 
their  cysts  are  effectively  demonstrated. 

In  187G,  Dr.  Stirling,  of  Edinburgh,  submitted  to  me,  for  identification, 
a  portion  of  cat's  lung  containing  worms.  Speaking  of  the  entozoon,  he 
wrote  :  "  In  the  alveolar  tissue  I  found  a  small  nematoid  worm  coiled  up 
within  a  cyst.  It  is  much  smaller  in  size  than  a  Trichina,  and  there  are 
usually  two  and  a  half  turns  of  it  within  the  cyst."  Now,  the  slides  on  the 
table  have  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Groves  from  the  identical  specimen  sent 
to  me  by  Dr.  Stirling. 

What  is  known  respecting  the  life-history  of  the  worm  is  chiefly  due  to 
the  investigations  of  Leuckart,  the  published  observations  of  Dr.  Stirling 
being  limited  to  the  appearances  presented  by  the  encysted  embryos. 
Briefly  stated  the  facts  are  as  follows  : — In  the  adult  state,  Olulanus 
tricuspis  dwells  in  and  upon  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  stomach  of  the 
cat.     It  is  a  very  small  worm,  the  adult  female  only  attaining  the  l-25th  of 


157 

an  inch  in  its  long  diameter — say  a  millimetre.  Its  presence  in  the  feline 
stomach  is  by  no  means  harmless,  inasmuch  as  it  gives  rise  to  increased 
vascularity,  and  even  also  to  ecchymosi3  of  the  mncous  membrane. 

Unlike  Trichina,  the  Ohdanvs  carries  only  a  few  young  in  its  interior; 
three  being  the  average  number  of  embryos  pi'esent.  However,  in  relation 
to  the  size  of  the  parent  worm,  these  embryos,  as  Leuckart  phrases  it,  are 
truly  colossal.  They  are  nearly  one-third  of  the  length  of  the  parent, 
being  ^  of  an  inch  long  by  1  ^6  €"  in  breadth. 

The  small  number  of  embryos  does  not,  however,  imply  a  feeble  amount  of 
germ-distribution.  The  swarming  of  the  young  within  the  tissues  of  the 
cat-host  is  sometimes  prodigious  in  extent.  Of  the  embryos  that  are 
hatched  and  discharged,  a  large  proportion,  perhaps  the  greater  number, 
proceed  at  once  to  migrate  on  their  own  account,  and  in  a  direct  manner 
within  the  tissues  of  the  cat  without  waiting  to  be  expelled  along  with 
the  fasces  in  the  ordinary  way.  I  regard  this  phenomenon  as  an  instance  of 
illegitimate  wandering  from  the  right  path,  a  spurious  phase  of  migration, 
or,  as  Von.  Siebold  so  aptly  expressed  himself  concerning  similar  wander- 
ings long  ago,  instances  of  "  straying."  In  this  way  the  young  Olulani 
stray  into  the  liver,  into  the  diaphragm,  into  the  pleura?,  and  into  the  sub- 
stance of  the  lungs.  Within  one  or  other  of  these  organs  they  come  to  a  state 
of  rest  and  proceed  at  once  to  encyst  themselves.  If  the  swarming  is 
extensive  and  complete  their  habit  of  thus  straying  from  the  right  path 
necessarily  involves  both  themselves  and  their  victim  in  one  common  ruin. 
As  regards  those  offspring  that  are  carried  passively  along  the  legitimate 
path,  their  passage  per  vias  naturales  ensures  for  at  least  a  certain  number 
of  them  a  more  prolonged  existence.  Doubtless,  as  obtains  with  many 
Anguillules,  the  embryos,  though  dried  up  within  the  hardened  cat-faaces, 
revive  when,  with  the  excrement  nibbled  by  mice,  they  are  transferred  to 
the  stomachs  of  these  rodents.  An  experiment  by  Leuckart  proved  that 
ingested  embryos  of  Olulanns  are  not  destroyed  by  their  entry  into  the 
stomach  and  intestines  of  the  mouse.  In  short,  not  a  shadow  of  doubt 
exists  that  the  embryos  thus  passively  transferred  in  the  ordinary  course  of 
nature,  undertake  a  final  and  legitimate  wandering  into  the  voluntary 
muscles  of  the  little  rodent.  After  the  manner  of  trichinae  they  bore  their 
way  through  the  tissues,  and  having  selected  the  muscles  as  their  final 
resting  place,  they  proceed  to  encyst  themselves  in  the  same  way  that  some 
of  their  fellow-embryos  had  done  before  them  within  the  lungs  of  the  feline 
host.  Lastly,  in  order  to  arrive  at  sexual  maturity  as  their  parents  did 
before  them,  they  must,  as  encysted  muscle-worms,  be  passively  transferx-ed 
to  the  stomach  of  another  cat,  where,  probably  after  a  few  days,  or,  it  may 
be,  only  a  few  hours,  they  are  able  to  acquire  the  adult  condition. 

Such  is  the  life-record  of  Olulanus  tricuspis.  The  trichinosis  of  swine 
and  other  warm-blooded  animals  is  the  precise  pathological  homologue  of 
the  flesh-worm  disease  of  mice.  To  this  disorder  I  initiated  and  long  ago 
applied  the  term  Olulanosis. 

Pathologically  speaking,  our  little  nematode  is  thus  capable  of  producing 
three  distinct  morbid  states.     In  adult  life  it  is  productive  of  verminous 
Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  12.  n 


158 

catarrh  of  the  stomach  of  the  cat.  In  the  straying  embryonic  stage  it  pro- 
duces local  traumatic  irritation,  leading  eventually  to  the  formation  of  a 
miliary  nematode  tuberculosis  of  the  lungs  and  liver  of  the  cat.  In  the 
true  migratory  stage,  after  a  change  of  host,  it  leads  to  the  production  of 
olulanosis  or  olulaniasis. 

Surely  these  phenomena  are  worthy  of  attention.  Apart  from  their 
obvious  practical  bearing  they  are  sufficiently  instructive  to  the  intelligent 
observer.  We  have  seen  how  readily  these  parasites  may  be  mistaken  for 
Trichinae  under  circumstances  where  no  legitimate  suspicion  of  trichinosis 
ought  to  have  been  entertained.  Witness  the  Swedish  epizooty  affecting 
cats.  In  this  connection  I  may  mention  that  a  very  curious  coincidence  came 
under  my  notice  some  ten  years  back.     I  will  endeavour  to  recall  the  facts. 

An  eminent  surgeon,  acting  as  professional  adviser  to  one  of  our  Railway 
Companies,  requested  me  to  accompany  him  on  a  visit  to  a  family  of  seven 
or  more  persons  in  humble  life,  all  of  whom  either  were  at  the  time,  or  who 
had  been  shortly  before,  suffering  from  an  obscure  disease.  The  symptoms 
unquestionably  resembled  those  observed  in  cases  of  Trichinosis.  If  I 
remember  rightly  two  domestic  animals  were  taken  ill  about  the  same  period, 
a  donkey  and  a  cat.  These  had  died,  and  were  buried  ;  the  cat  compara- 
tively recently.  We  hoped  to  settle  the  Trichina  question  then  and  there ; 
and  having  explained  to  one  of  the  lads  the  necessity  of  removing  a  tiny 
portion  of  flesh  in  order  to  complete  the  diagnosis,  he  willingly  submitted 
to  the  operation.  This  act  of  vivisection  occurred  without  the  aid  of 
chloroform,  and  as  it  was  not  performed  on  a  dog,  but  on  a  heroic  specimen 
of  our  own  race,  I  suppose  the  question  of  cruelty  would  not  even  present 
itself  to  the  mind  of  the  most  ardent  opponent  of  all  species  of  cruelty  to 
animals.  Be  that  as  it  may,  a  very  tiny  fragment  of  the  gastrocnemius 
muscle  was  detached  and  handed  to  me  for  microscopic  investigation.  I  found 
no  trichina?,  yet  still  neither  of  us  were  convinced  that  the  family  disorder 
was  not  due  to  Trichina.  Resolved,  if  possible,  to  get  further  light 
cast  upon  this  mysterious  outbreak,  Mr.  Gay,  F.R.C.S.,  the  surgeon  in 
question,  ordered  the  cat  to  be  exhumed.  It  was  examined  by  others  than 
myself  for  Trichinosis  without  success,  but  the  lungs  were  found  to  be 
swarming  with  nematoids.  Thus,  in  view  of  identification  my  efforts  were 
again  honoured,  and  I  pronounced  the  animal  to  have  died  from  olulanosis — 
a  disease  which  none  of  the  medical  gentlemen  who  made  the  feline  post- 
mortem had  hitherto  heard  of.  Whatever  interpi'etation  be  put  upon  the 
human  outbreak,  the  coincidence  of  the  occurrence  in  man  of  an  affection 
symptomatic  of  trichinosis,  found  in  association  with  a  trichinoid  affection 
in  an  animal  which  proved  to  be  olulaniasis,  was  both  curious  and  instruc- 
tive. It  should,  at  least,  serve  as  a  warning  to  young  observers,  and 
induce  them  to  be  very  cautious  in  pronouncing  upon  the  nature  of  any  disease 
in  which  they  happen  to  detect  the  presence  of  immature  nematoid  worms 
coiled  up  in  cysts. 

I  may  add  that  a  portion  of  the  olulanised  lung  of  the  cat  in  question  is 
preserved  in  the  Museum  of  the  Royal  College  of  Surgeons.  The  prepara- 
tion is  marked  in  the  catalogue,  No.  1814a,  and  described  as  "  Lung  of  Cat 
pneumonic  from  the  presence  of  parasites."     Presented  by  J.  Gay,  Esq. 


V 


159 

Time  will  not  permit  me  to  give  yon  an  account  of  the  history  of  the 
•development  of  the  strongyles  of  cattle  and  sheep,  but  I  may  remind  you 
that  already,  in  1880,  I  had  the  pleasure  to  explain  to  the  Clab  what  was 
then  known  in  this  respect,  and  gave  a  detailed  notice  of  some  original 
experiments.  On  the  occasion  in  question  the  value  of  the  discussion  was 
greatly  enhanced  by  the  observations  which  fell  from  Mr.  Beulah. 

The  differential  diagnosis  of  the  various  species  of  Strong ylus  is,  taken 
by  itself,  a  matter  of  great  interest,  zoologically  speaking.*  As  a  refine- 
ment in  this  department  of  observation,  I  may  mention  that  it  is  perfectly 
possible  for  an  expert  in  this  branch  of  helminthology  to  detect  the  differ- 
ences subsisting  between  the  various  embryos  alike  of  strongyles  and  other 
allied  nematoids. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  add  that  it  must  be  obvious  to  the  meanest 
capacity  that  if  we  would  stamp  out  divers  parasitic  plagues  that  affect 
both  man  and  beast  we  must  endeavour  to  ascertain  whence  each  species 
comes  and  whither  it  goes. 

Alas !  the  labour  of  such  researches  is  practically  endless.  What  a  task 
the  problem  presents  for  generations  of  microscopists  yet  unborn !  Of  the 
hundreds  of  known  species  of  helminths  only  a  few  have  been  exhaustively 
studied,  so  to  say. 

The  number  of  the  species  thoroughly  studied  may  be  counted  on  the 
ends  of  our  fingers.  We  have  Trichina  spiralis,  Fasoiola  hepatica,  so 
beautifully  worked  out  by  Thomas,  and  a  few  Tamia,  Echinorlujnchi,  and 
one  Pentastuma,  concerning  whose  several  life  histories  tolerably  complete 
records  exist. 

In  this  regard,  the  collection  of  species  and  their  zoological  determination 
is  one  thing.  Anatomical  observation,  aided  by  sections,  staining,  and 
mounting,  is  another  step  gained.  But  then  there  remains  the  question  of 
experiments  on  living  animals,  involving  both  expense  and  much  personal 
sacrifice  of  time.  Both  of  these  difficulties  might  eventually  be  bridged  over, 
were  we  not  met  with  obstacles  arising  from  the  determined  hostility  of 
certain  well  meaning  people  who  disapprove  of  this,  the  most  essential  part 
of  the  biological  method  of  research.  We  can  make  no  solid  advances  in 
helminthology  unaided  by  experimental  research,  which  method,  after  all, 
however  freely  employed,  would  serve  to  allay  far  more  suffering  than  it 
could  produce. 

Unfortunately,  the  influence  of  some  of  these  obstructors  of  science  is 
very  considerable;  so  great,  indeed,  that  one  might  almost  speak  of  it  as 
being  equalled  only  by  the  profundity  of  ignorance  which  characterises  its 
foremost  abettors.  A  few  simple  lessons  gathered  from  a  contemplation  of 
the  behaviour  of  parasites  would  do  some  of  these  obstructors  and  senti- 
mentalists a  great  deal  of  good ;  and  I  venture  to  think  that  our  dear  and 
grand  old  Shakespeare  would,  as  regards  the  vexed  question,  have  ranged 

*  At  this  point  Dr.  Cobbold  gave  a  brief  account  of  the  diagnostic  marks  presented 
by  the  tails  of  strongyles.  Drawings  representing  on  a  large  scale  the  hoods  of  the 
male  worms  were  referred  to;  especial  attention  being  called  to  those  of  Strongylus 
micrulus  and  Str.  filaria  of  the  ca!f  and  sheep  respectively,  The  ray-patterrs  of  the 
hoods  of  S.  paradoxus  and  S.  dentatus  of  the  pig,  of  S.filicollis  and  S.  contortus  of  lambs, 
of  Str.  clathratus  of  the  elephant  and  S.  commutatus  of  the  hare  were  also  described  and 
contrasted.— Ed. 


160 


himself  on  the  scientific  side.  Speaking  figuratively,  the  role  of  the  human 
parasite  was  well  understood  by  him,  and  I  sometimes  think  he  must  have 
been  acquainted  with  the  genuine  article.  At  all  events  he  classified  those 
beings  as  evil  "that  do  fastest  propagate,"  but  then  did  he  not  also  say  : 
"  There  is  some  soul  of  good  in  things  evil,  would  men  observingly  distil  it 
out."  It  is  this  very  process  of  intellectual  distillation  recommended  by 
Shakespeare  that  we  have  together  sought  to  utilise  this  evening,  and  I  trust 
that  our  humble  efforts  in  this  direction  may  not  be  entirely  unprodnctive 
of  good  results. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  library  : — 


Pond  life... 

Freshwater  Polyzoon  (?  n.s.)   ... 

Section  of  Brain  of  Calf 

Anchors  and  plates  of  Synapta,  in  situ 

Sections  of  stem  of  Vine 

Aphis,  Trama  troglodytes 

T.S.  Stem  of  Limnanthemum    ... 

Diatoms,  Sceptroneis  gemmata 

Living  serpula     ... 

Diatoms,  Pergodiscus  armatus 

Sting  and  poison  bag  of  Wasp 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  E.  C.  Bonsfield. 

Mr  F.  Coles. 
Mr.  A.  L.  Corbett. 
Mr.  H.  G.  Glasspoole. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Mori  and. 
Mr.  A.  W.  Stokes. 
Mr.  G.  Sturt. 
Mr.  J.  Wilson. 


Attendance — Members,  71 ;  Visitors,  12. 


March  27th,  1885. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club  :— Dr.  W.  Hodges,  Mr.  Henry  W.  Parritt,  Mr.  Peter  W.  Squire,  Mr. 
J.  T.  N.  Thomas,  and  Mr.  Chas.  J.  Wainwright. 

The  following;  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 


"Proceedings    of    the   Manitoba    Historic    and) 
Scientific  Society "  ...         ...         ...         ...  ' 


From  the  Society. 


»> 


"  Historic  Names  of  Places  in  the  Canadian  North- 1 

W  cSu  •  •  •  •••  •••  *••  ••• 

"  Mound  Builders,"  by  Bryce  M.  Wright     From  the  Author 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Belgian  Microscopical  Society  "  In  Exchange. 

"  Journal  of  the  New  York  Microscopical  Society''  „         ,, 
"Transactions of  the  Eastbourne  Natural  History  { 

OUl^lCtJ'  ...  ...  ...  ...  ... 

"  The  American    Monthly  Microscopical    Society"         „ 
"  The  American  Naturalist  " 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  " 
"  Monograph  of  the  British  Phytophagous  Hymen-  7 
optera,"  Pay  Society's  Publication  ...  * 

"  Annals  of  Natural  History  '' 


J! 


i> 


From  the  Society.. 

By  Subscription. 
Purchased. 


1G1 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  Secretary  exhibited  a  new  Iris  Diaphragm,  by  Mr.  Hunter,  made  to  go 
close  up  under  the  object. 

The  Secretary  read  a  letter  from  Colonel  O'Hara,  enclosing  a  series  of 
photographs  of  diatoms  from  Galway  Bay,  and  asking  for  assistance  in 
identification. 

A  large  number  of  dipping  tubes  of  a  superior  kind  were  placed  upon  the 
table  for  distribution  amongst  the  members  by  Mr.  Le  Pelley,  to  whom  the 
thanks   of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  given. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  read  a  paper  "  On  some  remarkable  Moulds,"  illustrating 
the  subject  by  drawings,  which  were  handed  round  for  inspection. 

Mr.  Karop  enquired  if  the  fungus  mentioned  as  having  been  found  by  Mr. 
Durham  in  the  human  ear  was  associated  with  any  disease,  or  whether  it 
was  one  of  those  aggregations  which  were  sometimes  found  on  the  ears  of 
out-patients  attending  hospitals  ? 

Dr.  Cooke  said  he  thought  Mr.  Durham  stated  that  there  was  a  disease  of 
the  ear  for  which  he  was  consulted,  and  that  he  removed  the  mould  in  the 
course  of  his  treatment. 

Dr.  Matthews,  in  proposing  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Dr.  Cooke  for  his  paper, 
said  that  there  were  certain  subjects  which  seemed  to  be  above  criticism,  be- 
cause in  the  mouths  of  experts  they  were  statements  of  facts  which  were 
simply  beyond  dispute.  In  the  instance  before  them  it  was  well  known  that 
Dr.  Cooke  had  made  the  subject  so  much  his  own,  and  his  observations  were 
so  correct,  that  they  were  beyond  the  limits  of  ordinary  criticism. 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  Dr.  Cooke  was  then  put  to  the  meeting  and  carried 
unanimously. 

Mr.  Karop  said,  that  whilst  this  question  was  before  the  meeting,  he  would 
mention  a  rather  remarkable  place  in  which  he  had  once  found  some  of  these 
fungi.  He  was  examining  some  bottles  of  sections  of  human  spinal  cord 
preserved  in  strong  methylated  spirit,  and  in  one  bottle  of  the  series  he  found 
the  upper  part  of  the  spirit  was  covered  by  a  mycelium  of  some  kind,  which 
was  quite  black.  He  had  mentioned  it  to  Dr.  Cooke,  but  he  did  not  at  the 
moment  remember  anything  which  grew  in  spirit. 

Dr.  Cooke  acknowledged  the  vote  of  thanks,  and  said  that  the  very  short 
time  at  his  disposal  for  the  preparation  of  a  subject  did  not  leave  him  much 
choice  as  to  what  it  should  be,  and  in  looking  over  what  was  ready  to  hand 
he  thought  that  the  notes  which  he  had  read  contained  something  which  was 
novel  or  new,  and  if  not  controversial  they  had  at  least  some  points  of 
interest.  If  there  had  been  time  in  which  to  think  over  a  subject,  the  one  he 
had  brought  forward  would,  perhaps,  be  amongst  the  last  which  would  have 
occurred  to  him  as  being  suitable  ;  but  under  the  circumstances  it  seemed 
to  him  the  best  thing  to  be  done.  Amongst  the  five  species  named  there 
were  some  curious  facts  which  showed  the  polymorphous  character  of  these 
moulds — the  first  being  found  in  a  stoppered  bottle,  the  second  in  a  dead 
insect,  the  third  in  the  ear  of  a  living  human  being,  the  fourth  on  a  living 
tree,  and  the  fifth  found  growing  on  the  leaves  of  ferns,  without  apparently 
doing  any  injury  to  them.    He  did  not  remember  ever  to  have  found  them 


162 

growing  iu  spirits,  but  in  their  low  forms  they  would  grow  in  a  solution  con- 
taining a  large  quantity  of  spirit. 

Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy  described,  by  the  aid  of  a  diagram  drawn  on  the  board, 
the  peculiar  method  of  feeding  observed  in  the  case  of  Daphnia  Pulex. 
The  food  was  carried  in  the  current  caused  by  the  legs,  to  the  hinder  part  of 
the  interior  of  the  shell,  and  the  particles  contained  therein  carried  into  a 
funnel,  to  which  is  attached  a  very  distinctly-formed  organ  which  stops  all 
inorganic  matter  or  particles  too  large  for  mastication  ;  such  particles  as 
they  accumulate  in  the  funnel  being  cleared  away  by  the  hook  of  the  hind 
leg.  Such  as  were  passed  were  masticated  by  the  jaws  and  passed  on  to  the 
end  of  the  tongue,  which  was  a  long  flexible  tubular  organ,  which  could  be 
opened  at  will  along  its  length.  It  had  (when  closed)  a  very  small  opening. 
Whatever  particles  accumulated  at  the  end  of  the  tongue  were  cleared  away 
by  the  hook  on  the  first  pair  of  legs.  Whatever  was  sucked  in  by  the  tongue 
was  carried  along  it  at  once  to  the  alimentary  canal. 

Mr.  Goodwin  said  he  was  very  pleased  to  find  that  Mr.  Hardy  had  taken 
up  this  subject.  He  had  himself  noticed  that  there  was  an  in-taking  of 
food  at  the  posterior  portion  of  the  animal,  but  he  found  a  great  difficulty  in 
tracing  its  progress  so  as  to  see  it  entering  the  alimentary  canal.  In  the 
endeavour  to  do  this  he  stained  some  starch  granules  with  iodine,  and 
attempted  to  feed  the  Daphnia  with  them,  but  it  would  have  nothing  to  do 
with  them  ;  one  day,  however,  he  chanced  to  see  a  Daphnia  draw  in  the  egg 
of  a  rotifer,  and  he  was  able  to  trace  the  progress  of  this  entirely. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Hardy  for  his  communica- 
tion. 

Notices  of  meetings  and  excursions  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then 
given,  aud  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione,  and  the 
following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Sea  slug,  Limapontia  nigra  '    ...         ...         ...     Mr.  F.W.Andrew. 

Parasites  from  a  Bat       ...         ...     Mr.  F.  Coles. 

Diatoms  frum  Burrin,  Ireland,  in  situ  ...     Mr.  A.  L.  Corbett. 

Alcyonium digitatum      ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

Section  of  lower  jaw  of  Shrew  Mouse Mr.  J.  J.  Hunter. 

New  form  of  graduating  Iris  diaphragm        ...  ,,         ,, 

Larva  of  Corethra  culicifo?rmis  ...         ...     Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Diatoms,  Scejrtroneis  caduceus  ...         ...         ...     Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Bracliionus  i?aXa-synch(Bte  ...         ...         ...     Mr.  R.  T.  C.  Nevins. 

Lophojjus  crystalinus      ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  C.  Le  Pel  ley. 

Entozoa  Oxyurisvermicularis  .  .         ...         ...     Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Ovary  of  Poppy,  fertilised,  and  unfertilised  ...     Mr.  J.  Willson. 
Attendance — Members,  51 ;  Visitors,  5. 


163 


On  a  Supposed  New  Infusorian  of  the  Flaoellata 

ElJSTOMATA. 

By  George  J.  Burch. 
{Read  April  24th,  1885.) 

Plate  XI. 

In  March,  1884,  I  found  in  a  ditch,  by  Port  Meadow,  Oxford, 
an  animalcule,  -which  I  have  been  unable  to  identify  with  any 
described  in  Saville  Kent's  book.  It  was  growing  on  duckweed, 
and  also  on  the  cases  of  gnat  larvas,  of  which  there  were  many  at- 
tached to  the  weed. 

Each  colony  consisted  of  a  compound  stem,  no  portion  of  which 
was  contractile,  bearing  from  10  to  50  heads  upon  branchlets 
somewhat  thinner  than  the  main  stem.  These  heads  appeared,  in 
most  positions,  of  an  irregular  pear  shape,  the  broad  end  projecting 
on  one  side  into  a  blunt  proboscis,  from  which  arose  a  single  stout 
flagellum.  About  the  centre  of  the  creature  was  a  very  strongly 
refracting  oval  spot,  with  a  somewhat  corrugated  surface,  which  I 
imagined  to  be  the  gizzard.  Between  this  and  the  mouth,  which 
lies  in  a  cup-shaped  depression  close  under  the  proboscis,  was  a 
passage,  the  walls  of  which  I  could  distinctly  see,  even  when  there 
was  no  food  in  it. 

The  creature  was  remarkably  active,  the  movement  of  the  flagella 
being  so  vigorous  as  to  keep  the  whole  group  in  constant  agitation. 

The  flagellum  of  each  individual  waved  with  a  steady  circular 
vibration,  most  often  with  one  node,  but  sometimes  with  two,  until 
some  particle  of  food,  generally  a  micrococcus,  came  within  reach. 

Then,  before  the  flagellum  touched  it,  a  sudden  vigorous  stroke 
was  made,  which  appeared  to  bring  the  curve  of  the  flagellum  be- 
hind it,  and  so  throw  the  food  into  the  mouth.  At  the  same 
moment,  with  a  rapidity  very  difficult  to  follow,  the  head  made  a 
dart  forward  exactly  as  a  dog  snaps  at  a  fly  (this  movement  may 
result  simply  from  the  increased  activity  of  the  flagellum,  though  I 
incline  to  believe  that  the  creature  has  the  power  of  bending  the 
head  in  various  directions  on  the  stem,  like   Vorticella).     Imme- 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  13.  o 


164-  G.  J.  BURCH  ON  A  SUPPOSED  NEW   INFUSORIAN. 

diately   afterwards,  before  I  could  see   how  it  was   managed,   the 
food  was  safely  lodged  in  the  creature's  throat. 

This  was  repeated  again  and  again,  the  particles  being  gradu- 
ally forced  down  towards  the  central  vesicle,  at  a  little  distance 
apart.  The  conclusion  was  irresistible,  that  in  some  way  the 
creature  is  conscious  of  the  proximity  of  something  eatable,  and 
catches  it  by  a  voluntary  effort.  The  mere  action  of  feeding, 
enabled  me  at  a  glance,  to  distinguish  it  from  the  other  Flagellates 
which  I  found  in  the  same  water.  On  several  occasions  particles 
too  large  to  swallow  were  caught  ;  when  this  happened  the 
flagellum  was  instantly  stretched  straight  across  the  head  and 
pressed  firmly  down  ;  and  if  in  this  way  the  food  could  not  be 
forced  into  the  mouth,  after  three  or  four  seconds  it  was  allowed  to 
escape. 

Not  imagining  that  it  might  be  something  new,  I  made  no 
measurements,  but  only  took  a  rough  sketch  with  the  camera  lucida, 
from  which  I  find  that  the  heads  were  about  half  the  length  of 
those  of  Carchesium  polypinum. 

Specimens  were  very  plentiful  for  some  weeks.  The  heads  do 
not  apparently  break  loose  from  the  stems  on  slight  provocation 
like  other  Flagellates,  for  I  had  one  group  out  of  the  tank  on  two 
successive  days,  and  it  was  unaltered.  With  the  double  spot  lens 
the  creatures  appear  of  the  usual  whitish  hue,  but  with  direct  sun- 
light, under  a  low  angled  quarter,  the  heads  are  of  a  pale  green  at 
the  edges  and  purplish  in  the  centre. 

I  made  some  careful  observations  with  the  itli,  and  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  cup-shaped  depression  in  the  head  is  bordered 
with  three  equidistant  prominences,  at  the  base  of  the  largest  of 
which,  or  from  the  apex  of  it— I  could  not  determine  which — is  the 
flagellum,  and  close  under  the  flagellum  the  opening  of  the  gullet. 
Unfortunately,  when  I  had  time  to  go  to  the  Bodleian  Library  to 
try  to  identify  the  creature,  and  found  it  was  not  in  Saville  Kent's 
book,  I  could  no  longer  get  any  specimens.  I  have  searched  for 
them  this  spring,  but  a  bridge  is  being  built  near  the  ditch,  and  I 
fear  they  have  been  destroyed. 

If  it  should  be  decided  that  this  is  a  new  species,  I  would 
suggest  the  name  "  raptor,""  but  if  there  is  no  genus  in  which  it 
can  be  placed,  I  would  call  it  li  Ilarpakter  socialist  from  "  ap^a^ou," 
/  snatch,  which  would  at  once  identify  it  among  the  Flagellata 
eustomata,  from  its  method  of  seizing  its  prey. 


Jo  urn.    Q.M.  C 


Ser.H.Vol.  2.P1.XL 


A.  _  Gidlet 

B    _  G-izzourd,  or   stomach* 


G.J.BurcK  del. 


"W."Kh.ein.  sc. 


165 


On  some    Fossil   Marine  Diatoms  Found   in   the    Moravian 
"Tegel,"  from  Augarten,  near  Brunn. 

By   Prof.    P.    T.    Cleve,    Hon.    F.R.M.S. 

(Read  June  26th,  1885.) 

PLATES    XII    and     XIII. 

In  the  marine  deposits  of  Moravia,  known  as  Tegel  (marl  or  clay), 
belonging  to  the  miocene  and  pliocene  divisions  of  the  tertiary 
formation,  fossil  diatoms  have  been  recently  found  by  Herr  E. 
Thum,  of  Leipzig,  who  has  kindly  sent  to  me  a  collection  of 
mounted  specimens  for  description.  He  informs  me  that  they 
were  detected  in  the  "  Tegel,"  from  Augarten,  near  Brunn. 
Whether  it  belongs  to  the  miocene  or  pliocene  formation  I  am 
unable  to  determine. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  species  sent  by  Herr  Thum  : — 

Cocconeide^e. 

Cocconeis  pellucida,  Hantzsch  in  Rab.  Beitrlige,  p.  21,  PI.  6, 
Fig.  11  (1863).  Grunow,  Novara  Alga?,  p.  12.  (Not  C.  pellucida 
of  Verb.,  1863.)  I  have  seen  three  upper  valves.  Length, 
•084--143  mm.  ;  breadth,  '063--084  ;  striae,  12  in  the  -01  mm. 
This  species  is  found  in  the  warmer  seas,  as  the  Mediterranean, 
Bed  Sea,  Indian  Ocean,  &c,  and  also  in  the  Nankoori  deposit. 

MASTOGLOIACE.E. 

Orthoneis  splendida  (Greg.),  Gran.  Cocconeis  splendida,  Greg. 
D.  of  CI.,  p.  21,  PI.  1,  f.  29  (1857).  C.  punctatissimaj  Grev. 
Mic.  Journ.,  v.,  p.  8,  PI.  iii,  f.  1  (1857).  Mastogloia  cribrosa, 
Grun.  Verb.,  p.  577  (1860).  Orthoneis  splendida,  Grun.  Novara 
Algae,  p.  15  (1867).  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  28,  f.  1-2  (1880).  I 
have  seen  four  examples  from  this  deposit.  Length,  -088- '168 
mm.  ;  breadth,  '07-'13  ;  puncta,  5  in  "01  mm.  Living  specimens  are 
smaller,  and  measure  in  length  *05  to  "11  mm.,  breadth  -03-#09  mm. 
Striae  in  living  specimens  vary  from  5 \  (Greg.)  to  8  (Grev.)  in  -01 
mm. 


166         t.   t.  cleve  on  some  fossil  marine  diatoms. 

Naviculace^:. 

Navicula  aspera,  var.  intermedia,  Grim,  in  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  48, 
f.  14,  15  (1876).  Franz.  Josef's  Land  Diatomeen,  p.  56,  PI. 
A.,  f.  20  (1884).  One  of  the  Tegel  specimens  measures  *2  mm.  in 
length  and  -034  mm.  in  breadth,  and  has  7  striae  in  -01  mm. ; 
the  stria?  are  nearer  to  the  median  line  on  one  side  than  the  other. 
This  form  is  found  living  in  the  Arctic  seas. 

N.  nitescens  (Greg.),  Diat.  of  CI.,  pp.  15  and  69,  PI.  1,  f.  16 
(1857).  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  7,  f.  38  (1875).  (JV.  Smithii  var.) 
One  specimen,  closely  agreeing  with,  the  figure  in  the  Atlas, 
measures  -12  mm.  in  length,  and  -002  mm.  in  breadth,  and  has  6 
striae  in  -01  mm.     This  species  is  also  found  recent  in  most  seas. 

JV.  prcetexta,  Ehr.  Pinnularia  prcetexta,  Elir.  I\Ib.  1840. 
Several  specimens,  all  agreeing  very  closely  with  the  figures  in 
A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  3,  f.  31-33.  Length,  -1--24  mm.  ;  breadth, 
•06--12  mm. ;    stria?,  7-7*5  in  -01  mm. 

Found  recent  in  most  marine  gatherings. 

JV.  Lyra,  var.  elliptica.  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  2,  f.  29,  and  PI.  3, 
f.  11  (1875).  Van  Heurck.  Syn.,  PI.  10,  f.  2.  One  specimen 
(len.  '115,  br.  -075  mm.;  stria?,  6  in  -01  mm.)  closely  resembles 
the  figure  in  the  latter  work.  Common  in  recent  marine 
gatherings. 

JV.  inhalata.  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  2,  f.  30  (1875).  One  specimen 
(length  -14,  breadth  -08  mm.)  has  9  stria?  in  -01  mm.  The  speci- 
men from  Samoa,  as  figured  in  the  Atlas,  has  13  stria?  in  -01  mm.  ; 
in  other  respects  the  Tegel  specimen  agrees  well  with  it. 

N.  gemmata,  Grev.,  Edin.  N.  Phil.  Jour.,  x.,  p.  30,  PI.  4,  f.  7 
(1859).  JV.  spectabiUs,  Grun.,  Verb.,  p.  533,  PI.  3,  f.  11  (1860). 
N.  Giunowii,  Kab.  Flor.  Eur.  Alg.,p.  203  (1864).  JV.  gemmata, 
var.  biseriata,  Grun.,  Novara  Alga?,  p.  100,  PI.  1  A.,  f.  16 
(1867).  JV.  gemmata,  var.  spectabiUs,  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  8,  f.  38 
(1875).  N.  grunowii,  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  70,  f.  73  (1881). 
Three  specimens  •14--20  in  length  and  ■05-,052  mm.  in  breadth  ; 
stria?  3  in  -01  mm.  One  of  the  specimens  is  slightly  constricted  in 
the  middle,  and  very  much  resembles  JV.  pristioplwra,  Janisch  in 
A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  70,  F.  72.  N.  gemmata  is  found  living  in 
warm  seas,  as  the  Mediterranean,  Ived  Sea,  the  West  Indies, 
California,  &c,  and  in  a  fossil  state  in  Californian  guano  and  the 
Nankoori  deposit. 

JV.  bomboides,  A.  Schm.  Atl.     See  Diat.  PI.  1,  f.  2  (1874).     A. 


P.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS.  167 

Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  13,  f.  36-38  (1875).  I  have  seen  only  one  speci- 
men ;  it  is  *13  mm.  in  length  and  '42  in  breadth.  It  has  only  a 
slight  central  constriction,  as  in  figure  38  of  the  Atlas.  The  stria? 
are  4*5  in  -01  mm. 

JV.  gemmatula,  Grnn.  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  13,  f.  20-21 
(1875).  A  somewhat  corroded  valve  (PL  12,  f.  1);  measures  *18 
mm.  in  length  and  *048  in  breadth,  and  has  4*5  stria?  in  -01  mm. 
It  resembles  the  last-named  form,  but  is  larger,  It  also  re- 
sembles JV.mcesta,  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PL  69,  f.  18-19,  which,  however, 
has  closer  stria?  (7  in  #01  mm.).  Nearly  related  to  our  specimen 
is  JV.  Lesinensis,  Grun.,  m.s.,  measuring  *144  mm.  in  length  and 
•05  in  breadth,  with  5  stria?  in  *01  mm.,  but  the  depressions 
parallel  to  the  median  line  are  narrower. 

JV.  Beyrichiana.  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PL  69,  f.  16-17  (1881). 
One  specimen,  which  measures  '18  mm.  in  length  and  '05  in 
breadth,  and  has  33  rows  of  distant  puncta  in  *01  mm.  This 
species  has  been  found  in  zEgena  (?  fossil). 

JV.  Crabo  (Ehr.),  Kiitz.  Diploneis  Crabo,  Ehr.  Mb.  (1844). 
JV.  Crabo,  Kiitz.,  Sp.  AL,  p.  83  (1819).  JV.  Pandura,  Bieb.  Diat, 
Cherb.,  PL  18,  f.  4  (1854).  I  have  seen  four  valves  from  the 
"  Tegel,"  all  of  which  have  lost  their  finely-sculptured  layer.  All 
of  them  agree  very  well  with  Figures  4  and  8  (pi.  69)  in  the 
Atlas  ;  Figure  8  seems  to  be  more  nearly  related  to  JV.  multicostata, 
if  this  is  reallv  distinct  from  JV.  Crabo. 

SuiURELLE^E. 

Surirella  opulenta.     Grun.  Verb.,  p.  461,  PL   11,  f.  10  (1862). 

S.  fastuosa,  var.  opulenta.  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PL  20,  f.  1.  One 
large  specimen. 

S.  Baldjikii.  Norman,  T.M.S.,  ix.,  p.  6,  PL  2,  f.  2.  A. 
Schm.  Atl.,  PL  20,  f.  7.  One  specimen.  This  species  is  still 
living  in  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas. 

Campylodiscus  hibernicus,  Ehr.  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PL  55,  F.  10- 
11.  I  have  seen  one  perfect  specimen  from  the  "Tegel."  Mr. 
Thum  informs  me  that  this  well-known  freshwater  species  really 
occurs  in  this  deposit.  This  seems  highly  improbable,  as  all  the 
other  species  found  in  it  are  purely  marine. 

C.  Clypeus,  Ehr.  Ehr.  Mb.,  p.  205  (1840).  Cocconeis 
Clypeus,  Ehr.  (1838).  I  have  seen  one  small  specimen  closely 
agreeing  with  figure  3,  PL  55,  in  Schm.,  Atl. 


168  T.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS. 

C.  obsoletus,  Ch.,  n.sp.  Valve  orbicular  or  oval,  diameter  *17 
mm.,  central  area  large,  surrounded  by  a  circle  of  short  puncta. 
Limbus,  with  a  few  irregular  and  obliterated  canaliculi.  Margin 
with  short  cellules.  Of  all  the  described  forms  of  Campylodisci  with 
which  I  am  acquainted,  this  shows  the  nearest  affinity  to  G. 
tabulates,  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  52,  f.  4,  but  the  canaliculi  in 
that  species  extend  from  the  margin  to  the  circle  of  puncta  sur- 
rounding the  central  margin.  PL  12,  f.  2,  ^ ,  b.  c,  margin  in 
different  foci  ^. 

Synedre^e. 
Synedra  fulgens  (Kiitz).     W.  Sm.     Gomplienema,  Kiitz  (1833). 
S.fu1gens,W.  Sm.,  1853.       Van.    Heurck  Syn.,   PI.  43,  f.   1-4. 
I  have  only  seen  a  fragment  of  a  valve   "02  mm.  broad,  with  un- 
usually coarse  strise,  6  in  *01  mm. 

ENTOPYLE2E. 

Gephyrea  media,  Arnott,  M.J.S.  viii.,p.  20  (1860).  Achianthes 
angvstata,  Johnst.  (nee.  Grev.),  M.J.S.  viii.,  p.  14,  PI.  1,  f.  13 
(1860.)  Costa3  6*5  in  -01  mm.  The  species  found  in  the  "  Tegel  " 
are  identical  with  those  from  the  Moron  deposit.  It  occurs  living 
in  California,  Japan,  &c. 

Striatellejs. 

Rhabdonema  adriaticum,  Kiitz.     One  specimen. 

Grammatophora  maxima,  Grim.  Verb.,  p.  416,  PI.  5,  f.  5 
(1862).  A  large  and  robust  form,  -18-*3  mm.  in  length  and  *018 
in  breadth.     No  striation  could  be  detected. 

Isthmie.e. 
Isthmia  nervosa,   Kiitz.     No   difference  between  this  specimen 
and  the  recent  form  could  be  detected. 

BlDDULPHIE^E. 

Biddulplua  pulclxella ,  Gray.  (1821).  The  Tegel  specimens  are 
identical  with  the  recent  forms. 

B.  Tuomeyi  (Bail.),  Roper.     Zygoceros  Tuomcyi,  Bailey  (1843). 

B.  Tuomeyi,  Roper  (1859).  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  98,  f.  2-3. 
This  is  a  very  variable  species  ;  some  specimens  so  nearly  resemble 
B.  elegantula,  Grev.,  T.M.S.  xiii.,  PI.  6,  f.  13,  that  they  might  be 
taken  for  that  species,  whilst  others  can  scarcely  be  distinguished 
from  B.  regina,  W.  Sm.  Syn.,  Vol.  ii.,  p.  50,  PI.  76,  f.  323.  Van 
Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  98  f.  1. 


P.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME     FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS.  169 

Syringidium,  sp.  I  have  seen  one  imperfectly  developed  frustule 
which  seems  to  belong  to  S.  Americanum,  Bail.  (Van  Heurck 
Syn.,  PI.  106,  f.  2.)     PI.  12,  f.  3,  if*. 

Triceratium  Favus,  Ehr.     Type  form. 

T.  Favus,  var.  maxima,  Grun.  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  107,  f. 
5.  Distance  between  the  angles  '15-'25  mm.  Cellules  (1-P4  in 
•01  mm.)  very  regularly  arranged  in  lines  parallel  with  the 
margins  ;  surface  of  valve  covered  with  coarse  granules  (10  in  '10 
mm.),  radiating  from  the  centre  to  the  margins.  Although  the 
form  of  the  valve  and  the  arrangement  of  the  cellules  are  the  same 
as  in  the  typical  T.  Favus,  the  presence  of  the  radiating  granules 
seems  to  be  sufficient  to  constitute  it  a  distinct  species. 

T.  arcticum,  Brightwell,  1853.  A.  Schm.  Atl.  PI.  79,  f. 
12-13.  Large  triangular  ("15  mm.  between  the  angles)  cellules 
in  lines  radiating  from  the  centre  angles  ;  obtuse,  with  rows  of 
smaller  cellules,  8  in  '01  mm.  In  addition  to  the  coarser  eellula- 
tion  the  surface  is  covered  with  very  small  cellules,  as  shown  in 
figures  5,  6,  7,  PL  79,  of  the  Atlas. 

T.Moronense,  Grev.  (T.M.S.  xiii.,  p.  9,  PI.  4,  f.  18,  1865). 
Of  this  species  I  have  seen  two  specimens.  Distance  between  the 
angles  '08--15  mm.  So  far  as  1  know  this  species  has  only  been 
found  in  the  fossil  deposits  of  Moron  and  Nankoori. 

T.  latum,  Grev.  (T.M.S.,  xiii,  p.  103,  PI.  9,  f.  20,  1865).  A. 
Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  77,  f.  38-39.  One  specimen.  Distance  be- 
tween the  angles  *075  mm.  In  all  respects  identical  with  A. 
Schmidt's  figures  ;  this  species  has  been  found  living  at  Singapore 
and  Celebes. 

T.  turgidum,  Ch.  n.sp.  Valve  in  s.v.  triangular,  with  very 
broad  angles  ;  outline  orbicular,  very  convex  ;  centre  with 
scattered  puncta,  which  become  closer  as  they  approach  the 
margin.  In  s.v.  the  centre  is  very  turgid,  and  the  angles  produced. 
Distance  between  the  angles  *07  mm.     PI.  12,  f.  4,  a  b,  12f. 

T.  Stokesianum,  Grev.  (T.M.S.,  xiv.,  p.  8,  PI.  2,  f.  23,  1866). 
The  form  found  in  the  Tegel,  and  which  I  refer  to  the  above 
named  species,  differs  from  Greville's  figure,  the  veins  not  form- 
ing transverse  bars  ;  they  are  also  shorter  and  more  irregular.  In 
a  small  specimen  they  are  very  short,  but  I  do  not  think  these 
differences  are  of  any  specific  value.  I  have  examined  four  speci- 
mens. Distance  between  the  angles  '1-'16.  The  centre  of  the 
valve  has  a  few  puncta  (?)  differing  from  the  ordinary  cellulation  ; 


170  P.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS. 

they  are  probably  short  spines  or  apiculi.  A  small  specimen 
shows  considerable  affinity  to  T.  Jensenianum  Gran.  (A.  Schm. 
Atl.,  Pi.  77,  f.  15-16),  but  differs  from  that  form  by  the  short 
veins  being  more  numerous.     P1.12,  f.  5,  a  b,  2®- 

T.  parallelum,  Ehr  ,  Grev.  Triangular  form=T.  obtusion,  Ehr.  ? 
Cleve,  West  Ind.  Diat.,  p.  1G  (1878).  T.  parallelum  var.  trigone, 
A.  Schm.,  PI.  76,  f.  14-17,  (1882).  Quadrangular  form= 
Amphitetras parallela,  Ehr.,  Mb.  (1840).  Triceratium  parallelum, 
Grev.  T.M.S.,  xiii.,  p.  104,  PI.  9,  f.  22  (1865).  Hexagonal  form, 
Grev.  I.e.,  f.  23.  Both  the  triangular  and  quadrangular  forms  occur 
in  the  "  Tegel."  The  species  is  found  living  in  the  warmer  seas,  as 
the  Mediterranean,  Red  Sea,  West  Indies,  Gallopagos  Islands, 
and  as  fossil  in  iEgina  Moron    and  San  Jeremie,  F.K). 

T.  tesselatum,  Grev.  (T.M.S.  ix,  p.  71,  PI.  8,  f.  14).  This  species 
belongs  to  a  group  of  Triceratia  ;  extremely  difficult  to  exactly 
determine,  so  many  slightly  differing  forms  having  been  described 
as  distinct  species  and  also  imperfectly  figured.  As  my  determina- 
tion may  not  be  perfectly  correct,  I  give  a  figure  of  the  only 
specimen  I  have  seen  from  the  Tegel  deposit.  Distance  between 
the  angles,  -08  mm.     PI.  12,  f.  7. 

T.  irregulare  var.  hebetata,  Grun.  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI. 
Ill,  f.  10.  One  specimen  closely  agreeing  with  the  above  figure. 
The  angles  and  margin  show  a  structural  difference  when  the  focus 
of  the  objective  is  altered.  This  is  probably  caused  by  the  existence 
of  two  differently  sculptured  layers.  In  one  focus  the  angles  have 
large  cellules,  in  the  other  very  small  ones.  I  have  some  doubts 
as  to  this  form  being  the  true  T.  irregulare. 

T.  trisulcum,  Bail,  (in  Pritch.  Inf.,  p.  854,  PI.  8,  f.  24,  1861). 
A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  78,  f.  5-8.  Of  this  form  I  have  seen  several 
specimens.     Distance  between  the  angles  'lO-'lS  mm. 

Var.  minor,  Cleve.  Small.  Distance  beJMeen  the  angles,  #1  mm. 
The  apices  of  the  angles  are  more  acute  than  in  the  larger  form. 
PI.  12,  f.  6,  *** 

T.  nobile  (Grev.),  CI.  Amphitetras  nobilis,  Grev.  T.M.S.  xiii, 
p.  105,  PI.  9,  f.  27  (1865).  One  large  specimen.  Distance  be- 
tween the  angles  "115  mm.,  rows  of  cellules,  4  in  *01  mm.  A 
6mall  quadrangular  specimen  agrees  well  with  Amphitetras  pro- 
ducta,  Grev.,  T.M.S.  ii.,  p.  94,  Pi.  9,  f.  11  (1862)  ;  not  T. 
production,  Grev.  (1861),  nor  T.  balearicum,  CI.  Grun.  and  green 
Sv.  Vet.  Ak.  Handl.,  T.  xviii,  p.  25,  PI.  6,  f.  73, 


I\    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS.  171 

T.  antediluvianum  (Ehr.),  Van  Heurck.  Amphitetras  ante- 
diluviana,  Ehr.  (1839).  1  have  seen  only  one  specimen  from  the 
Tegel  deposit,  and  this  is  not  the  type  form  ;  the  lobes  are  less 
obtuse.  It  more  nearly  resembles  the  last  described  form,  from 
which  it  differs  principally  by  its  coarser  cellulation  (3  cellules  in 
the  *01  mm.)  and  less  produced  lobes.  Distance  between  the 
angles  *07  mm. 

Eupodiscus  Argus,  Ehr.  Tripodiscus  Argus,  Ehb.  (1810).  E. 
Argus,  W.  Sm.,  Syn.  vol.  I,  1859.  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  117,  f. 
3-6.  Several  specimens  examined,  but  no  difference  could  be  de- 
tected between  them  and  recent  forms. 

Aulacodiscus  Oregonensis,  Bail.  18G2.  A.  Oreganus,  Ralfs. 
1861.     A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  31,  f.  4-5. 

A.  amoenus,  Grev.,  T.M.S.  xii.,  p.  10,  PL  1,  f.  3  (1S64).  A. 
Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  41,  f.  13.  One  specimen  agreeing  very  well 
with  A.  Schmidt's  figure. 

A.  Grunowii,  01.,  n.sp.  Valve  largo,  -1--3  mm.  in  diameter,  with 
distant  rows  of  granules  radiating  from  the  centre,  where  they  arc 
scattered.  Between  these  are  very  small  puueta  ;  below  the  granu- 
lated surface  is  a  reticulated  layer;  number  of  rays  6-10.  PI.  12, 
f.  8,  ^f. 

This  beautiful  species  approaches  very  closely  in  general  ap- 
pearance to  A.  Grevilleanus,  Norman  (T.M.S.  xii.,  p.  10,  PI.  1, 
f.  1,  1864),  but  the  markings  on  that  species  show  many 
important  differences  ;  nevertheless,  our  species  has  a  close 
affinity  with  it.     A.  Grevilleanus  was  found  in  the  Moron  deposit. 

Cerataulus  turgidus,  Ehr.  (1843).  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI. 
104,  f.    1-2.      Two   small   specimens,    -05--06    mm.    in   diameter. 

C.  Johnsonianus  (Grev.),  CI.  Biddulphia  Johnsoniana,  Grew 
T.M.S.  xiv.,  p.  6,  PI.  2,  f.  14-15  (1866).  A  very  robust  species, 
•18  mm.  in  diameter.  The  puncta  of  the  valve  form  irregular 
wavy  lines,  about  *11  in  0.1  mm.   (Moron  deposit,  Greville.) 

Auliscus  conjluens,  Grun.  A.  Schm.,  Probetafel,  f.  1  (1874). 
Atlas,  PI.  32,  f.  6-8.      Several  specimens,  diameter  *1  mm. 

A.  ccelatus,  Bail.  (1853).     The  specimens  from  the  Tegel  agree 
with  Figure  12,  PI.  32,  in  A.  Schm.  Atl.  (from  Moron). 

A.  Normanianus,  Grev.  T.M.S.  xii.,  PI.  11,  f.  11  (1864).  A. 
Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  32,  f.  3,  and  PI.  67,  f.  5.  One  valve  agreeing 
in  every  respect  with  the  Moron  specimen. 

A.  pulvinatus,   01.,    n.sp.      Valve    nearly    oibicular  ;   processes 


172  r.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS. 

two,  large,  centre  punctate  depressed,  surrounded  by  two  elevated 
rings,  separated  by  a  furrow.  Structure  :  minute  puncta,  ar- 
ranged in  irregular  radiating  lines.  Margin  with  a  few  short 
apiculi.     Diameter  *08  mm.     PI.  13,  f.  9,  ^~ 

AcTINOPTYCIIEuE . 

Actinoptychus  undulatut,  Ebr.  Large  specimens  '08-. 18  mm. 
in  diameter.  Between  the  three  marginal  nodules  and  the  central 
area  are  distinct  raphes. 

A.  splendens  (Shadb.),  Ralfs.  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  119.  Be- 
sides the  typical  form  I  have  observed  the  following  varieties  : — 

var.  Californica,  Grim.     Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  120,  f.  1. 

var.  Nicobarica,  Grun.,  I.e.,  f.  4. 

A.  glabratus,  Grun,  I.e.,  PI.  120,  f.   6. 

var.  incisa,  Grun.,  I.e.,  f.  8. 

A,  vulgaris,  var.  Virginica,  Grun.,  I.e.,  PI.  121,  f.  7.  PI.  13,  f. 
11.  Another  variety  occurs  in  the  Tegel,  having  a  coarser  reticular 
and  more  distant  rows  of  puncta.     PI.  13,  f.  10. 

A.  SimbirsJcianus,  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  29,  f.  11  (1875).  One 
specimen,  resembling  the  figure  in  the  Atlas. 

A.  Boliviensis,  Janiscb.  A.  Schm.,  Atl.  PI.  1,  f.  23  (1875). 
One  large  specimen.     I  regard  as  varieties  of  this  species  — 

A.  GriXndleri.     A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  1,  f.  22  (1875). 

A.  Pfitzeri,  I.e.,  PI.  29,  f.  1  (1875). 

The  differences  between  the  three  forms  consist  in  the  number 
of  the  marginal  nodules,  the  form  of  the  blank  spaces,  and  the 
depression  of  the  surface,  but  all  these  characters  are  variable.  In 
PI.  13,  f.  12,  I  give  a  figure  of  A.  Pfitzeri,  from  the  Tegel. 
A.  Grundleri  has  two  nodules,  and  is  larger,  but  does  not  other- 
wise differ. 

A:  Moronensis  (Grev.),  CI.  Omphalopelta  Moronensis,  Grev. 
T.M.S.  xiv.,  p.  122,  PI.  2,  f.  14  (1866).  This  species  does  not 
seem  to  be  rare  in  the  Tegel,  and  varies  in  size  from  -08-*26  mm. 
in  diameter.  Small  specimens  agree  with  Greville's  figure,  but 
the  large  valves  are  more  flattened  and  are  slightly  hexagonal. 

Asterolampra  Marylandica,  Ehr.  (1844).  Diameter  of  valve 
•11  mm.,  rows  of  puncta  8  in  *01  mm. 

Thaumatodisci  Cleve. 
In  this  family  I  propose  to  include  some  very  remarkable  forms 
of  Diatomacea3,  the  valves  of  which   have   prominent  central  pro- 
cesses.    I  place  in  this  family  the  genera  Tkaumatonema,  Greville, 


T.    T.    OLEVB    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS.  1  7 ^ J 

T.M.S.,  1871.  Strangulomena,  Greville,  T.M.S.  (1873),  and  a  new 
and  undescribed  genus  from  the  Tegel,  Pyrgodiscus,  Kitton,  MS. 

The  genus  Thaumatonema  bears  a  long  process,  proceeding  from 
the  centre  of  the  circular  valve,  which  afterwards  becomes  widely 
forked.  The  apices  of  the  forks  articulate  with  those  of  the  ad- 
joining frustule.     Valve  (discoid)  turgid,  with   a  flattened   centre. 

Pyrgodiscus  (from  Tlvpyos,  a  tower),  has  a  conspicuous  square, 
tower-like  elevation,  bearing  large  spines  on  its  sides  and  angles. 
Valve  orbicular,  with  a  large  square  central  elevation,  armed  with 
long  and  stout  spines  ;  margin  with  small  processes  placed  on 
elevations.  Surface  with  irregular  line  of  radiating  puncta.  The 
processes  are  connected  with  the  central  elevation  by  smooth 
radiating  lines. 

Pyrgodiscus  armatus,  n.g.  Kitton.  End  of  the  central 
elevation  flattened,  with  rows  of  small  puncta,  which  do  not  reach 
the  centre,  margins  with  four  stout  spines,  below  which  and  alter- 
nating with  them  are  four  similar  spines.  Diameter  of  disc  'OS-'l 
mm.  (height  of  "tower"  2-r4  F.K.)  The  structure  of  the 
valve  seems  to  bear  some  resemblance  to  that  of  Polymyxus  (?) 
pulchellus,  Grun.  (in  Van  Heurck  Sy.,  PI.  123,  f.  5)  and  Tliauma- 
tonema  costatum,  Grew  (T.M.S.  13,  PI.  8,  f.  3).    PI.  13,  f.  13  a.b.c. 

Herr  Thum  has  not  yet  succeeded  in  rinding  an  entire  frustule  ; 
it  is  therefore  uncertain  whether  the  two  valves  are  alike.  I  am 
much  inclined  to  believe  that  they  are  not.  My  reason  for  this  is 
that  he  has  sent  me  a  specimen,  which  seems  to  me  to  be  either 
the  opposite  valve  of  a  frustule  or  an  abnormity.  It  is  certainly 
nearly  allied  to  P.  armatus.  The  following  is  a  description  of 
it  :  Valve  more  irregular  in  structure  ;  it  has  5  spines  and  a  slight 
indication  of  a  sixth,  but  which  do  not  project  from  a  central  eleva- 
tion. PI.  13,  f.  13,  d.  4«°. 

Arachxoidisca  Cl.,  N.  Fam. 

Arachnoidiscus  omatus,  Ehb.  (1849).  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  73, 
f.  4-6.     Several  corroded  specimens. 

Stictodiscus  Californicus,  Grey.,  var.  areolata,  Grun.  A. 
Schm.  Atl  ,  PI.  74,  f.  1.  (1882).  I  have  seen  five  specimens 
agreeing  well  with  the  figure  in  the  Atlas,  taken  from  a  somewhat 
corroded  valve  from  the  Moron  deposit.  Diameter  -08-*l5  mm. 
On  uninjured  specimens,  the  lines  of  marginal  puncta  split  up  into 
2-3  rows  of  small  puncta. 


174  T.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS. 

ACTINOCYCL^E. 

Actinocyclus  Ehrenbergii,  Ralfs.  (1861).  Van  Heurck  Syn., 
PI.  123,  f.  7. 

A.  (alienus,  var.  ?  Grun.)  undatus,  Cleve.,  Disc.  •07-*l  mm.  in 
diameter  ;  pseudo  nodule  indistinct  ;  valve  with  radiating  and 
branching  lines  of  puncta  (or  small  cellular)  5-6  in  *01  mm.  ; 
surface  concentric,  elevations  and  depressions.  It  is  with  some 
hesitation  I  refer  this  form  to  A.  alienus  ;  the  radiating  lines  of 
puncta  do  not  form  such  distinctly  oblique  and  decussating  trans- 
verse rows  as  shown  in  Grunow's  figures  in  Van  Heurck's  Syn.,  PI. 
125,  f.  10  and  12  ;  near  the  margin  they  have  this  arrangement, 
but  on  the  other  part  of  the  valve  they  resemble  A.  stibtilis.,  fig.  7 
(PI.  124),  PI.   13,  f.  14  ±§*. 

MELOSIREiE. 

Paralia  sulcata  (Elib.),  Cleve  (1864),  GallioncUa  sulcata. 
Ehb.,  (1838).  Orthosira  marina  Sm.  S.B.D.  n.,  p.  59  (1856), 
Paralia  marina,  Heib.  (1863). 

Melosirat  clavigera,  Grun.  Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  91,  f.  1-2, 
(1881).  M.  Sol.  (Ehr.)  Kiitz.  Gallionella  Sol,  Ehb.  (1844).  M. 
Sol.,  Kiitz.  (1849).     Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  91,  f.  9. 

M.  Omnia  CI.  n.sp.  Valve  orbicular  with  a  circle  of  puncta 
(6-7  in  *01  mm.)  between  the  margin  and  the  centre  (but  nearer 
the  former),  the  margin  finely  striate  (21  in  •01  mm.),  the  re- 
mainder of  the  valve  smooth.     Diameter,  '085  mm.     PI.  13,  1.  15. 


480 
1     ' 


M.  Borreri,  Grev.  Brit.  Flora. 

Podosira  antediluviana,  CI.  Valve  very  convex  and  robust,  with 
minute  puncta  scattered  at  the  centre,  but  forming  minute  irregularly 
radiating  lines  on  the  other  parts  of  the  valve.     PI.  13,  f.  16,  —-. 

Pyxidicula  cruciata,  Ehr.  (1841),  Mg.,  PI.  33,  f.  7.  One  speci- 
men.    Dia.  '056.     Cellules  3-4  in  *01  mm. 

Endictya  oceanica,  Ehr.  (1845).  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  65,  f.  10. 
Diameter  '09-*  15  mm.     Cellules  2  in  *01  mm. 

E.  minor.  A.  Schm.  Atl.,  PI.  65.  f.  4  (1881),  E.  oceanica  in  CI. 
and  Moll,  Diat.  No.  110.  Diameter  -09  mm.  Cellules  3  in 
•01  mm.  Craspcdodiscus  Coscinodiscus,  Ehr.  (1844.)  A.  Schm# 
Atl.,  PI.  66,  f.  3-4.  One  specimen  '11  mm.  in  diameter.  Cellules 
in  the  limbus   2   in   '01  mm.  ;    in  the   concave  part  4  in   *01  mm, 

Coscinodiscus  griseus,  Grev.     T.M.S.,  in.,  p.  230,  PI.  9,  f.  7 


P.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS.  175 

(1863.)  I  Lave  seen  one  valve  ;  it  lias  a  small  central  space  with- 
out granules.  Row  of  granules  9  in  "01  mm.,  margin  with  short 
granulated  striae  'lG-'Ol  mm.  Diameter  -055  mm.  The  arrange- 
ment of  the  lines  of  puncta  agrees  very  [well  with  Greville's 
figure,  but  differs  from  that  in  Van  Heurck  (Syn.,  PI.  132,  f.  1), 
which  has  also  very  much  coarser  marginal  stride.  The  "  Tegel  " 
specimen  also  differs  very  much  from  figures  13  and  14  (PI.  58  in 
Schmidt's  Atlas),  which  have  coarser  granules,  and  the  margins  are 
not  striate. 

C.  elegans,  Grey.  T.M.S.  xiv,  p.  3,  PL  1,  f.  G  (1860).  A.  Schm. 
AtL,  PL  58,  f.  7.  Several  specimens  from  -05  to  -08  mm.  in 
diameter.  Rows  of  puncta  3  to  4  in  -01  mm.,  marginal  striae  12 
in  '01  mm.  I  regard  as  a  variety  C.  biradiatus,  Grev.  (T.M.S. 
ix,  p.  42,  PL  4,f.  7  (1861).,  and  A.  Schm.  AtL,  PL  58,  f.  2).  This 
form  also  occurs  in  the  Tegel. 

C.  Thumii,  Cle.,  n.sp.     Valve  *075  mm.  in  diameter;   lines  of 
granules   radiant,   unequal    in    length,  not    reaching  the    centre  ; 
crowded   near  the   margin,  where  they  are  6  in  '01   mm.     PL  13, 
f.  17,  4-f-°. 

C.  nitidus,  Greg.  (1857).  A.  Schm.  AtL  PL  58,  f.  18.  Valve 
•088  mm.  in  diameter.  The  puncta  exhibit  a  tendency  to  form 
radiating  lines. 

C.  radiatus,  Ebb.  (1839),  Gran.  Diat.  Fr.  Jos.  Land,  p. 
19.  Cellules  about  2*5  in  -01  mm.,  in  the  margin  about  4  in  -01 
mm.  Diameter  *12  mm.  Some  varieties  approach  near  to  C. 
crassus,    C.   heteroporus. 

C.  Argus,  C.  marginatus,  and  C.  Oculus  Iridis,  but  they 
are  not  typical  specimens  of  these  species. 

C.  robustus,  Grev.  (T.M.S.  xiv.,  p.  3,  PL  1,  f.  8,  1866). 
Specimens  from  the  Tegel  are  -09-'01  mm.  in  diameter,  and  have 
2  cellules  in  '01  mm.  Some  of  the  Tegel  specimens  very  much 
resemble  A.  Schm.,  figure  3,  PL  62,  in  AtL  Others  having  smaller 
cellules  (3--01  mm.)  approach  closely  to  C.  marginatus,  C.  bi- 
marginatus,  and  C.  radiatus. 

C.  Asteromphalus  Ebb.  (1844  ).  Some  splendid  specimens 
occur  in  the  Tegel  of  the  varieties  eximia,  Grun.  (A.  Schm.  AtL, 
PL  63,  f.  12),  and  var.  liybrida,  Grun.,  Fra.  Jos.  Land  Diat.  79, 
PL  c,  f.  9.      C.  centralis  (AtL,  PL  63,  f.  1.) 

Xanthiopyxis  oblonga,  Ehb.  (Mg.  ;  PL  33,  17,  f.  17).  This 
curious  form  is  probably  an  auxospore  of  some  Diatom,  perhaps  a 


176  P.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS. 

ffemiauliiSj  and  is   nearly  related  to  Stephanofiyxis  limbata,   Ehr. 
(Van  Heurck  Syn.,  PI.  83,  ter.  f.  13-14.)     PI.  13,  f.  18. 

Some  80  species  of  Diatoms  have  been  found  in  the  Tegel  of 
Briinn,  and  with  the  two  exceptions  Campylodiscus  hibernicus  and 
C.  Clypeus  (the  former  occurring  in  fresh  and  the  latter  in  brackish 
water)  ;  all  are  decidedly  marine.  Only  a  comparatively  few 
appear  to  be  extinct,  and  of  those  a  remarkable  number  have  been 
detected  in  the  "  Moron  deposit,"  which  is  said  to  be  found  near 
Seville,  in  Spain. 

Of  the  recent  species  many  forms  are  now  living  in  the  far-dis- 
tant seas  of  Japan,  California,  West  Indies,  &c,  proving  that 
the  Tegel  was  a  deposit  in  a  sea  of  a  tropical  or  sub-tropical 
character. 

It  is  of  great  interest  to  compare  these  fossil  forms  with  recent 
specimens,  and  to  note  how  little  their  characteristics  have  been 
altered  by  the  conditions  to  which  they  have  been  exposed  during 
the  long  period  that  has  elapsed  since  the  later  tertiary  and  the 
present  time. 

Specimens  of  the  Tegel  Diatoms,  mounted  as  "  Typen  Platten  " 
can  be  obtained  of  Herr  Thum,  2,  Teichstrasse,  Leipzig. 

Additional  Forms  Found  by  F.  Kitton  in  a  Sample  of  the 
Tegel,  Cleaned  by  Herb,  Thum. 

Campylodiscus  Echeneis,  not  unfrequent. 

Nitzschia  circumsuta,  several  valves. 

Surirella  elegans?  several  valves,  only  differs  from  the  fresh- 
water form  in  the  canaliculi  being  more  robust. 

Stauroneis  jihamicenteron,  fragment  of  a  valve. 

Nitzschia  scalaris,  fragment  of  a  valve. 

Navicula  major,  two  valves. 

Trinacria  excavata,  one  valve. 

Aidacodiscus  angidatus,  one  valve  agreeing  exactly  with  a  speci- 
men in  my  collection,  identified  by  Dr.  Greville. 

Aidacodiscus,  n.sp.  When  the  lower  surface  is  in  focus  it  is  some- 
what like  a  coarse  A .  margaritaceus,  but  when  the  objective  is  focussed 
on  the  upper  surface  the  markings  very  much  resemble  those  in  Aida- 
codiscus (Eupodiscus)  Argus.  The  furrows  are  much  more  dis- 
tinct than  those  on  A.  margaritaceus  ;  number  of  processes,  6  ; 
diameter  of  valve  '0040. 

A.  Grunowii  docs  not  appear  to   be  very  rare   in  the   Tegel,   as 


:.i.c. 


Ser.H.Vol.  2.  PL  XII 


^o  oc  c-c      _ 
^lo  o  o  <=»  c  . 
X°oocc - 
Do  oc^>cc  - 
^o  oocc  L 

■40° 

- 


QQQyuaoj 


2  "b. 


>JC 


>& 


V 


280  5  V 


8  .Xfr 


P.  T.  Cleve  del. 


W.  Rkein  sc. 


DIATOMS       FROM    THE      BRUNN      "TEGEL. 


Jo-urn.  Q.  M.  C. 


Ser.ILVoL2.Pl.XIII. 


P.  T.  Cle-ve    A&L 


W.  Kheri 


DIATOMS        PROM     THE     BRUNN       '  TEGEL." 


P.    T.    CLEVE    ON    SOME    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMS.  177 

fragments  frequently  occur ;  my  specimen  is  imperfect  (about  two- 
thirds  of  a  valve.)  This  form  has  also  some  resemblance  to  A. 
superb  us,  Kitton. 

Cosmiodiscus,  Barbadensis,  Grev.,  (?)  var.  I  have  seen  two  or 
three  valves  of  what  I  take  to  be  Greville's  species.  This  form  is 
very  common  in  a  Tegel  from  Struhar,  Hungary. 

Arachnoidiscus  Ehrenbergii.     One  specimen. 

AsteroJampra  Marylandica.     One  specimen. 

Navicula  aspera,  var.  intermedia.  If  the  fact  of  the  lines  of 
striae  on  one  side  of  the  median  line  being  shorter  than  on  the 
other  is  of  any  generic  value,  the  above-named  diatom  belongs  to 
the  genus  Alloioneis  ;  but  I  have  found  forms  with  the  pseudo 
stauros  and  the  lines  of  striae  equal  (Ar.  aspera  type);  without  the 
stauros  and  the  lines  of  stria?  also  equal;  with  the  stria?  unequal 
(Alloioneis)  ;  with  stria*  nearly  touching  the  median  line,  and  an 
inconspicuous  blank  space  round  the  central  nodule.  All  these 
forms  have  the  characteristic  stria?  of  the  type  form,  and  gradually 
merge  into  each  other. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  PLATES. 

Plate  XII. 

Fig.  1.  Navicula  gemmatula,  var  ?  4£°. 

"     2,  Campylodiscus  obsoletus,  CI.,  n.sp.,  a,  2f°,  b.  c.  10T0°. 

3.  Syringidium,  sp.,  4^°. 

4.  Triceratium  turgidum,  CI.,  n.sp.,  2^°. 

5.  ,,  Stokesianum,  a.  b.,  2^°. 

6.  ,,  trisulcum,  var.  minor,  CI.,  4y°. 

7.  „  tesselatum,  4^°. 

8.  Aulacodiscus  Gruuowii,  CI.,  n.sp.,  2f°. 


a 
(( 


Plate  XIII. 

Fig.  9.     Anliscus  pnlvinatus,  CI.,  n.sp.,  4-p8. 
"  10.     Actinoptychus  vulgaris,  var.1  °f°  . 
"11.  „  „         var.  Virginica,  10f  °. 

"12.  „  Boliviensis,  var.  Pfitzeri,  4«°. 

"  13.     Pyrgodiscus  armatus    N.G.   et.    sp.       Kitton,    a.    S.V.     4^°,   b. 
part  of  do.    10f°,  c.   F.V.  4f°,  d.  opposite    valve  of  do.? 
or  abnormal  form  ? 
"   14.     Aotinocyclus  (alienus  ?)  undatus,  CI.,  4f°. 
"  15.     Melosira  Omma  CI.,  n.sp.,  4f°. 
"  16.     Podosira  antediluviana  CI.,  n.sp.,  4-2-°. 
"  17.     Coscinodiscus  Thumii  CI.,  n.sp. 
"  18.     Xanthiopyxis  oblonga,  4f  °,  a.  F.Y.  b.  S.V. 


178 


On  the  Mysterious  Appearance  op  a  Diatom. 

By  F.  Kitton,  Hon.  F.R.M.S. 

{Read  July  2ith,  1885.) 

In  my  list  of  Norfolk  Diatoms  I  note  two  species  occurring  in 
the  water  supply  of  the  city  of  Norwich.  These  were  Asterionella  gra- 
cillima,  Heib,  and  Diatoma  elongata.  Previous  to  the  covering  in  of 
the  reservoirs  these  forms  were  nearly  always  present  in  the  deposit 
left  in  a  precipitating  glass,  or  on  a  piece  of  filtering  paper  after 
allowing  the  water  to  ran  slowly  through  it  for  several  hours. 
Since  the  reservoirs  have  been  covered  I  have  not  been  able  to  find 
these  or  any  other  forms  in  the  water,  but  I  have  noticed  that 
occasionally  during  the  spring  and  summer  months  rust-coloured 
stains  appeared  on  the  carafes  if  the  water  was  allowed  to  remain 
unchanged  for  a  few  days.  This  I  thought  might  be  attributed  to 
the  presence  of  lime  and  iron,  particularly  as  they  apparently  dis- 
appeared with  effervescence  when  acid  was  introduced.  A  few 
weeks  ago  I  scraped  off  a  little  of  the  film  and  examined  it  with  a 
^-inch  objective,  when  I  found  it  was  composed  entirely  of  frustules 
of  Achnanthes  (Achnanthidium,  Breb.)  linearis  ;  this  somewhat  sur- 
prised me,  as  I  have  never  found  it  on  the  filter  papers.  I  there- 
fore (on  June  25)  filtered  8  ozs.  of  the  water  into  a  glass-stoppered 
bottle,  using  a  filter  paper  1  inch  in  diameter  and  a  very  small 
•^lass  funnel.  When  the  bottle  was  filled  I  removed  the  paper  and 
boiled  it  in  sulphuric  acid,  which  I  afterwards  decarbonized  with  chlo- 
rate of  potash  ;  the  residuum,  after  the  usual  washing  and  concentra- 
tion, I  examined,  but  could  find  no  indication  of  diatomaceous  re- 
mains. I  now  turned  my  attention  to  the  bottle  of  filtered  water.  In 
the  course  of  a  few  days  the  stains  began  to  appear,  and  on  July  7th 
were  much  increased  in  size  and  depth  of  colour.  I  poured  off  the 
water  and  removed  the  film  with  a  camel's-hair  pencil  ;  after  clean- 
ing with  nitric  acid  I  found  that  this  also  consisted  of  the  above- 
named  Diatom  unmixed  with  any  other  form.  As  this  is  a  very 
minute  species  ('000 1"  in  length  and  less  than  '0002"  in  breadth), 
I  thought  it  just  possible  that  some  of  the  frustules  might  have 


F.  KITT0N  ON  THE  MYSTERIOUS  APPEARANCE  OP  A  DIATOM.       179 

passed  through  the  paper  and  have  continued  to  increase  in  the 
filtered  water.  In  order  to  test  this  I  filtered  some  emery  powder, 
which  had  remained  in  suspension  six  or  seven  hours,  the  particles 
of  which  were  less  than  the  -00005  in  size  ;  these  I  found  did  not 
pass  through  the  filter. 

I  do  not  conclude  from  this  that  it  is  a  case  of  spontaneous 
generation,  but  rather  as  indicating  the  existence  of  microspores 
sufficiently  minute  to  pass  through  the  paper.  I  have  some  bottles 
of  distilled  water,  prepared  two  months  ago,  none  of  which  exhibit 
any  indications  of  the  existence  of  Diatoms  or  other  organisms.* 


*  The  development  of  ruycelia  takes  place  very  rapidly  in  the  distilled 
water  containing  cleaned  preparations  unless  it  is  mixed  with  at  least  an 
equal  quantity  of  spirit.  This,  I  believe,  is  due  to  the  cork,  the  bottom  of 
which  moulds,  and  the  spores  fall  into  the  water  and  produce  mycelia. 


Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II  ,  No.  13. 


180 


THE     PRESIDENT'S     ADDRESS. 

Delivered  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting,  24th  July,  1885. 

By  Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  &c. 

You  will  excuse  me,  gentlemen,  I  am  sure,  if  I  limit  my  re- 
marks to  a  very  few  points.  One  of  the  manifestations  of  the 
nervous  prostration  or  depression  under  which  I  have  suffered  is  a 
great  failure  of  voice.  The  genial  weather  and  dry  air  of  the  last 
two  days  have  rather  invigorated  me,  I  am  happy  to  say,  or  I 
should  not  have  been  down  here  this  evening. 

In  the  first  place  let  me  congratulate  you  on  having  secured  the 
services,  as  President,  of  Mr.  Michael.  Mr.  Michael  is  pre- 
eminently one  of  that  class  which  I  think  it  is  the  especial 
function  of  this  Club  to  foster,  the  class  of  those  who  take  up  the 
microscope  and  microscojucal  research,  as  a  means  of  pleasurable 
occupation,  but  who  pursue  it  not  as  mere  dilettanti,  but  in  the 
spirit  in  which  I  recommended  it  to  you  in  my  opening  address. 
The  value  to  one's  self,  and  the  interest,  I  think,  of  microscopic  study, 
are  greatly  raised  by  a  systematic  pursuit  of  some  limited  depart- 
ment, after  having  qualified  the  mind  by  a  general  logical  study  to 
appreciate  the  importance  of  a  larger  acquirement  of  biological  in- 
formation, obtained,  it  may  be,  by  books,  but  as  much  as  possible 
by  actual  observation.  But  the  taking  up  of  a  particular  group  of 
natural  history — which,  as  I  then  explained  to  you,  one  is  some- 
times directed  to  by  mere  accident — the  taking  up  a  special  group 
and  working  that  group  as  thoroughly  as  the  individual's  means  of 
research  permit,  that  is  the  way  in  which  science  is  benefited,  and 
I  can  assure  you  that  it  is  the  way  in  which  the  pleasure  and 
advantage  of  microscopical  research  to  the  individual  are  most  felt 
— much  more  than  by  the  mere  dilettante  pursuit  of  this,  and  that, 
and  the  other  study,  which  lead  to  nothing. 

Mr.  Michael  is,  I  believe,  engaged  during  a  large  part  of  his 
time  in  business — professional  work — which  has  nothing  whatever 
to  do  with  any  department  of  biology,  but  he  has  devoted  himself 


THE    PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS.  181 

for  many  years  to  the  study  of  one  particular  group,  the  Oribatidce^ 
and  yet  from  observations  I  have  heard  from  him,  here  and  else- 
where, it  is  quite  clear  that  he  has  obtained  a  very  large  amount 
of  general  biological  information,  which  gives  him  an  interest  in 
knowing  what  is  going  on  in  other  departments  ;  but  it  is  the 
special  study  of  the  Oribatidce  which  has  gained  for  Mr.  Michael 
great  credit  amongst  naturalists,  and  which  has  added  very  con- 
siderably to  our  knowledge  of  an  extremely  curious  and  interesting 
group. 

Now  with  regard  to  the  communications  which  have  been  made 
during  the  present  year,  I  would  just  mention  two  in  especial ;  one 
the  communication  made  to  us  by  Mr.  Buff  ham,  on  the  con- 
jugation of  Rhabdonema.  Those  who  were  present  on  the  night  on 
which  that  communication  was  made  will  remember  that  I  then 
made  some  remarks  upon  it,  which  I  need  not  now  repeat.  I 
would  only  say  at  the  present  time  that  the  peculiar  phenomenon 
which  Mr.  Buffham  believes  to  have  taken  place — he  has  not 
actually  observed  it,  remember — is  the  most  singular  thing  that 
we  know,  if  it  does  occur  as  he  believes,  and  I  do  hope  that  he,  or 
some  one  else,  will  follow  up  those  observations,  and  will  be  able 
to  produce  further  evidence  that  the  interpretation  he  has  put 
upon  them  is  the  correct  one.  Everyone  who  is  familiar  with  any 
department  of  natural  history  study  will  know  that  you  may  see  a 
thing  with  the  ordinary  eyes,  but,  as  it  were,  you  have  to  see  it  with 
the  mental  eye  also,  and  that  you  may  be  perfectly  correct  in  describ- 
ing what  you  see  if  you  merely  describe  it  or  draw  it,  and  yet  you 
may  be  quite  wrong  in  the  interpretation  you  put  upon  it.  Now  I 
may  refer  to  myself  as  a  "  dreadful  example."  When  I  brought 
out  my  Memoir  on  the  "  Structure  of  Shells,"  now  about  40  years 
ago,  nobody  doubted  at  all  that  I  was  correct  in  the  interpretation 
which  I  put  upon  what  I  saw.  The  plates  of  that  memoir,  pub- 
lished in  the  British  Association's  Proceedings  for  1841 — of  which, 
if  there  is  not  a  copy  in  the  library,  I  shall  be  happy  to  give  a 
copy — for  lately  these  old  Proceedings  have  been  given  away,  as  it 
were,  by  the  Council  of  the  British  Association,  and  I  secured  a 
few  copies  of  the  two  volumes  containing  those  memoirs.  There 
are  20  plates  in  the  first,  and  20,  I  think,  in  the  second,  published 
in  1817.  There  is  not  a  single  thing  in  those  plates  which  I  can- 
not show  ;  they  were  drawn  by  the  best  microscopical  draughts- 
man of  the  time — Mr.  Leonard  ;  but  the  interpretation  I  put  upon 


182  the  president's  address. 

them  now  is  very  different.  What  I  and  everybody  else  believed 
were  cells  in  those  days,  we  do  not  believe  are  cells  at  all  now  ; 
and  what  I  believed  were  vessels,  prove  in  many  instances  to  be 
parasitic  growths  in  the  substance  of  the  shell.  That  shows  the 
difference  of  interpretation  in  the  things  you  actually  see,  and  it 
shows  you  how  important  it  is  to  distinguish  between  the  two  — 
the  things  you  see  with  the  bodily  eye,  so  to  speak,  and  the  things 
you  see  with  the  mind's  eye.  In  those  days  everybody  was  finding 
cells  everywhere.  It  was  just  the  beginning  of  the  cell  doctrine, 
and  when  the  cellular  structure  of  the  epidermis  of  the  higher 
animals  was  discovered,  of  course  the  verv  natural  inference  was 
that  the  things  corresponding  with  the  epidermis — the  epidermic 
skeleton — would  be  proved  to  be  cellular  also  ;  and  the  evidence 
seemed  quite  satisfactory,  and  yet  now  that  evidence  is  found 
to  bear  a  very  different  interpretation.  You  know  the  old  saying, 
that  a  wise  man  changes  his  mind  as  often  as  he  sees  occasion  for 
it.  I  have  never  stuck  to  an  error  when  I  really  felt  there  was 
sufficient  ground  for  changing  my  opinion,  and,  therefore,  in  the 
later  editions  of  my  book  on  the  microscope,  I  have  given  what  I 
believe  to  be  the  true  interpretation  of  these  appearances.  So  it  is 
quite  possible  that  the  appearances  described  by  Mr.  BufThaui  may 
be  susceptible  of  some  other  interpretation.  I  very  cordially  hope 
that  these  observations  may  be  followed  up  through  successive 
seasons  until  it  shall  be  shown  that  there  is  only  one  interpreta- 
tion, whatever  that  may  be,  put  upon  them. 

Now,  I  have  a  few  remarks  to  make  upon  another  communica- 
tion, which  we  had  from  Mr.  Lowne  on  the  structure  of  the  eyes 
of  insects.  It  was  not  my  good  fortune  to  be  present  at  more  than 
just  the  conclusion  of  that  communication,  but  I  knew  Mr.  Lowne's 
views  on  the  subject  ;  and  I  have  since  read  the  last  paper  which 
he  communicated  to  the  Linnasan  Society.  It  was  with  very  great 
regret  that,  just  about  Easter,  I  read  in  the  columns  of  "  Nature  " 
a  strong  condemnation  of  this  paper,  and  of  the  want  of  proper 
knowledge  on  the  part  of  the  Council  of  the  Linnasan  Society, 
which  had  induced  them  to  publish  it ;  and  this,  from  one  of  the 
ablest  of  the  younger  school  of  naturalists,  Professor  Eay 
Lankester,  of  whom  I  wish  to  speak  with  every  respect  as  to  his 
great  ability,  his  large  contributions — most  important  contributions 
— to  various  departments  of  biological  research  ;  whose  father  was 
an  old  fellow-student  of  mine  in  this  very  building,  and  was  to  the 


THE    PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS.  183 

time  of  his  death  a  valued  friend.     But   I  should  take  that  letter 
of  Professor  Ray  Lankester  as  just  an  example  of  what  scientific 
criticism  ought  not  to  be  ;   and  I  do  not  hesitate  to  say  this  to  you, 
because  I  have  said  exactly  the  same  thing  in  private  to  Professor 
Ray  Lankester  himself.     I  happened  to  be  staying,  at  the  time 
when   I  read  it  in   "  Nature,"  with  my  friend,  Professor  Allman, 
formerly  of  Edinburgh,  who   now  resides  at  Parkstone,  and  with 
whose  extremely  valuable  contributions  to  various  departments  of 
study — of  the  lower  animals  especially — many  of  you  are  doubtless 
familiar.     Professor   Allman  is  a  man  of  very  wide  attainments, 
both  in  botany  and  zoology  ;   who  commands  the  respect  of  every- 
one who  knows  him  ;   who  has  been  a  most  able  teacher  in  Edin- 
burgh, where  he  held  a  Professorship  of  Zoology  for  many  years, 
and  who  still  is  cultivating  this  science.     He  is  working  out  the 
hydroid  polypes  of  the  chalk  formation,  and  everything  that  Pro- 
fessor Allman  has  done  has  been  done  extremely  well,  and  done  in 
the  very  best  spirit  as  a  man.     He  entirely  agreed  with   me  in 
my  great  regret  at  the  tone  and  the  manner  of  Professor  Ray  Lan- 
kester's  criticism.  Now,  I  believe  Mr.  Lowne  is  right  scientifically. 
I  have  gone  into  the  subject  a  little  since.     I  have  not  seen  Mr. 
Lowne's  preparations,  but  I  have  conversed  with  those  who  have, 
and  I  have  seen  the  most  important  recent  German  memoir  upon 
this  subject.     The  point   under  discussion   is,  what  is  really  the 
retina  of  the  eye  ?  what  is  really  the  position  of  it  ?     Mr.  Lowne 
says  there  is  a   distinct  membranous  layer  that  cuts  off  the  nerve 
filaments   from   passing  to  what  others  consider  the  true  retina. 
Now,  I  put  aside  altogether  the  question  whether  Mr.   Lowne  is 
right  or  wrong,  but  Mr.  Lowne  has  been  a  very  good  worker,  we 
all  know.     He  was  the  first  who  introduced  or  applied  the  more 
modern  methods  of  microscopical  research  to  the  investigation  of 
the  eyes  of  arthropods.     I  very  well  remember  the  valuable  paper 
which  he  contributed  to  the  Royal  Society  a  good  many  years  ago. 
We  all  felt  that  it  was  a  very  great  advance  upon  previous  know- 
ledge, and  a  great  advance  in  the  method  of  investigation ;   and, 
therefore,  I  think  that  anything  that  Mr.  Lowne  brings  forward  as 
the   result  of  his   later  investigation  upon  this  subject  is  to   be 
received  and  treated  with  respect.     We  may  differ  from  him,  we 
may  think  that  he  has  made  a  mistake,  that  he  has  misinterpreted 
what  he  sees,  or  that  his  preparations  do  not  accurately  show  what 
can  be  shown  ;  but  I  do  think  that  it  is  not  for  anyone  to  say  dicta- 


184  the  president's  address. 

torially  that  Mr.  Lowne  is  absolutely  and  clearly  wrong  ;  and  I 
wish  to  put  it  upon  record  that  I  have  a  very  strong  objection — 
derived  from  the  habit  of  a  life  and  a  considerable  experience  in 
criticism — I  have  a  very  strong  objection  to  the  assumption  by 
anyone  of  the  tone,  "  I  am  Sir  Oracle,  and  when  I  ope  my  mouth 
let  no  dog  bark."  As  I  have  said  before,  I  do  not  wish  in  any  way 
— in  the  least  degree — to  detract  from  the  valuable  work  which 
Professor  Ray  Lankester  has  done,  or  from  the  very  great  respect 
in  which  I  hold  any  opinion  of  his  in  this  matter,  or  any  other 
matter  of  the  kind  ;  but  I  do  not  think  that  any  worker  who  is 
really  honestly  endeavouring  to  add  to  our  knowledge  of  a  very 
difficult  subject  should  be,  if  I  may  so  speak,  "  snubbed"  in  the 
way  Mr.  Lowne  has  been  snubbed. 

I  do  not  think,  gentlemen,  that  I  have  anything  special  to  add 
with  regard  to  the  proceedings  of  this  year.  I  believe  they  have 
been  quite  up  to  the  average  of  good  work,  and  I  have  every 
reason  to  believe  that,  under  my  successor,  that  average  is  likely 
to  be  increased,  and  raised  rather  than  lowered. 

I  may  just  mention  one  or  two  directions  in  which  scientific 
inquiry,  I  think,  may  very  well  be  prosecuted  by  those  who  have 
the  opportunity  for  it.  One  is  a  subject  in  which  I  take  myself  a 
very  great  interest — the  question  whether  the  bacteria  (a  proper 
knowledge  of  which  is  becoming  of  increased  importance  in  every- 
day life)  whether  the  bacteria  have  permanent  specific  forms,  and 
not  only  specific  forms,  but  distinctive  potencies,  which  some 
naturalists,  very  careful  observers,  are  disposed  to  attribute  to 
them,  or  whether  they  are  capable  of  being  modified  by  culture  or 
by  natural  influences  so  as  to  change  their  potency — to  diminish  or 
increase  it,  or  altogether  alter  their  characters.  Now,  I  have 
always  been  one,  as  many  of  you  may  be  aware,  who  has  taken  the 
view  of  the  very  wide  range  of  species,  especially  among  the  lower 
types  of  animal  and  vegetable  life.  I  was  led  to  this  very  early, 
and  I  expressed  it  five-and-forty  years  ago ;  and  everything  I  have 
seen  and  known  since  has  increased  my  conviction  that  we  must 
always  make  great  allowances  for  external  influences,  and  the 
greater  allowance  in  proportion,  so  to  speak,  as  the  vital  force  is 
less — that  is  to  say,  as  there  is  less  power  in  the  germ  itself  to 
withstand  the  influences  of  external  conditions.  Since  we  have 
come  to  connect  this  kind  of  bacteria  growth  with  the  production 
of  diseases,  a  great  number  of  things  have  come  to  be  explained, 


THE  PRESIDENT'S  ADDRESS.  185 

or  at  least  to  be  made  probable,  which  were  previously  considered 
mere  curiosities,  as  it  were.  I  allude  to  those  very  curious  bastard 
forms  of  disease  which  are  observable  from  time  to  time,  the  forms 
connecting  different  diseases  with  each  other — diphtheria  and  scar- 
latina for  instance,  or  scarlatina  and  measles.  The  manifestation 
of  particular  disease  germs  may  be  extraordinarily  affected  by  the 
condition  of  the  body  in  which  they  fructify.  The  small-pox 
of  200  years  ago  was  a  very  different  disease  from  the  miti- 
gated small-pox  propagated  by  inoculation,  before  vaccination 
came  into  use — the  old  malignant  type  of  small-pox,  in  which 
patients  died  within  a  few  clays  after  taking  the  disease,  frequently 
before  any  eruption  appeared  at  all,  but  with  large  patches  of 
sub-cutaneous  effusion — purpuric  effusion — under  the  skin,  that 
was  known  as  the  black-pox,  which  was  described  250  years  ago 
as  having  ravaged  continental  Europe  with  a  severity  even  greater 
than  the  plague.  That  black-pox  was  prevalent  in  this  country, 
as  we  learn  from  medical  writings,  and  not  only  medical  but 
historical,  or  the  writings  of  the  ordinary  chroniclers  of  the  times — 
that  black-pox  was  prevalent,  carrying  off  whole  families  some- 
times, and  the  accounts  given  show  that  it  was  one  of  the  most 
horribly  loathsome  of  all  diseases.  Now,  in  the  treatises  on  small- 
pox written  by  the  best  observers  during  the  present  century, 
that  malignant  small-pox  is  mentioned  merely  as  a  form  which  may 
show  itself  once  now  and  then,  but  of  which  nobody  has  ever  seen 
an  epidemic  in  this  present  century,  and  my  belief  is  that  the  effect 
of  inoculation  with  small-pox  was  to  eliminate  this,  because  inocu- 
lation was  only  practised  when  a  favourable  epidemic  of  small- 
pox— that  is  an  epidemic  in  which  these  malignant  cases  did  not 
occur — was  prevalent,  and  the  cases  selected  for  taking  the  virus 
from  were  mild  cases,  and  that  in  that  way  everybody  being 
inoculated  with  the  small-pox,  except  in  out-of-the-way  country 
places,  the  malignant  form,  as  it  were,  died  out.  It  was,  in  fact,  as 
in  a  somewhat  similar  way,  getting  rid  of  that  malignant  form,  as 
Pasteur's  inoculation  of  sheep  gets  rid  of  the  malignant  chabon. 
It  is  on  record  that  the  mortality  of  small-pox  towards  the  end  of 
the  last  century,  when  protected  by  inoculation,  was  often  not  more 
than  one  in  100.  I  have  lately  seen  a  paper,  which  was  com- 
municated to  the  Society  of  Arts  a  few  weeks  ago,  on  inoculation 
as  practised  among  some  of  the  hill-tribes  of  India  not  more  than 
20  years  ago,  and  there  the  result  seems  to  have  been  the  same. 


186  the  president's  address. 

It  had  been  traditionally  practised  there  a  great  many  years,  cen- 
turies perhaps,  and  it  had  brought  down  the  mortality  from  small- 
pox to  a  very  small  figure  indeed  ;  that  had  been  superseded  by 
vaccination,  and  under  the  very  able  administration  of  the  medical 
officer  of  this  district,  the  native  prejudice  against  vaccination 
had  been  removed,  and  the  mortality  from  small-pox  brought 
down  to  next  to  nothing.  But  see  what  occurred  during  the  siege 
of  Paris  in  1870.  There  had  been  a  very  severe  outbreak  of  small- 
pox in  Paris  in  the  early  part  of  the  year,  before  the  war  broke  out. 
In  the  civil  population  of  Paris — not  the  military — vaccination 
had  been  very  much  neglected — re-vaccination  especially  ;  there 
was  no  authoritative  performance  of  it  excepting  in  the  military  ;  and 
in  the  French  Army — the  regulars — it  had  been  on  the  whole  very 
satisfactorily  performed  or  kept  up  ;  and  positively  in  June  of  that 
year,  when  there  were  more  than  1,000  cases — deaths — from  small- 
pox in  that  one  month,  in  the  civil  population  of  Paris,  there  was  an 
entire  absence — such  a  complete  absence  of  small-pox  in  the  large 
garrison  of  Paris  that  the  small-pox  ward  of  the  military  hospital 
was  closed.  Then  came  the  war;  then  came  the  replacement  of 
the  old  soldiers  of  the  garrison  of  Paris,  who  were  wanted  else- 
where, by  levies  hastily  got  together.  There  was  a  great  deficiency 
of  vaccine  matter — many  of  these  had  never  been  vaccinated,  and 
many  more  not  been  re-vaccinated  ;  then  came  the  shutting  up  of 
Paris  as  the  German  Army  drew  near,  the  crowding  of  the  military 
hospitals,  a  very  insufficient  supply  of  food,  and  that  not  of  a  good 
quality — a  kind  of  feeding  that  was  liable  to  induce  land  scurvy, 
and  what  was  the  consequence?  In  November,  1870,  there  were, 
I  think,  about  120  cases  of  the  malignant  form  of  small-pox  in  the 
large  small-pox  hospital,  which  it  had  been  necessary  to  institute — 
the  old  hospital  of  the  Bicetre.  The  reporter  of  this,  Dr.  Couran, 
who  is  now,  I  believe,  at  the  head  of  the  medical  service  of  the 
Army,  says  that  there  has  been  no  such  epidemic  of  this  malignant 
type  of  small-pox  during  the  last  century  in  Europe.  Now 
observe,  if  you  did  not  know  that  these  patients  had  been  subjected 
to  small-pox  infection,  and  if  sometimes  the  case  did  not  go  on  to 
develop  the  eruption — if  they  had  all  died  before  the  eruption 
appeared,  as  they  very  commonly  did  die  after  the  5th  or  6th  day 
after  the  infection,  we  should  not  have  known  these  two  diseases 
to  have  been  the  same,  so  completely  and  entirely  different  were 
they  in   their  types,  and   yet  it  was  clearly   small-pox   infection 


THE    PRESIDENT'S    ADDRESS.  187 

modified  in  its  mode  of  manifestation  by  the  constitutional  con- 
dition of  the  patients.  Now,  my  own  belief  is  that  there  is  a  very 
large  amount  of  this  modification,  and  that  there  is  a  very  large 
range  of  forms  of  disease  that  may  be  produced  by  the  same  infec- 
tion ;  that  the  bacteria,  when  cultivated,  as  it  were,  in  the  human 
body,  may  undergo  a  very  considerable  amount  of  modification  in 
their  potentialities,  and  that  they  may  under  some  circumstances 
give  rise  to  one  form,  and  under  other  circumstances  to  another 
form  of  disease.  I  Worked  out  this  view  about  a  year  and  a  half 
ago  in  a  paper  which  I  published  in  the  "  Nineteenth  Century," 
which  I  daresay  is  accessible  in  some  library  to  any  of  you 
who  care  to  learn  my  views  upon  it.  I  may  say  that 
since  I  have  published  that  paper  I  have  had  a  very  large  amount 
of  evidence  sent  to  me  kindly  by  various  practitioners  in  the  country, 
as  to  the  variety  of  manifestations  of  what  was  clearly  the  same 
contagion,  and  these  facts  all  fall  in  with  my  general  natural  history 
notions,  you  observe,  formed  from  the  experience  of  a  life  ;  for  I 
may  say  that  whenever  I  have  come  across  a  man  who  has  attended 
to  one  particular  groove — plants  or  animals  —  I  have  inquired  about 
range,  and  have  always  learned  it  was  a  great  deal  wider  than  books 
would  lead  you  to  suppose — that  you  may  have  specific  descrip- 
tions, but  that  these  specific  descriptions  are  liable  to  very  con- 
siderable modification — I  should  say  the  types  are  liable  to  very 
considerable  modification.  Now  this  is  a  very  important  considera- 
tion, and  1  may  say  that  there  Professor  Ray  Lankester  has  per- 
formed good  service  in  the  careful  study  that  he  made  some  years 
ago  of  the  form  of  these  bacilli.  That  study  is  contained  in  the 
i(  Microscopical  Journal  " — not  the  "  Journal  of  the  Microscopical 
Society,"  but  the  u  Quarterly  Microscopical  Journal  " — and  I  believe 
that  the  varieties  that  he  described  in  that — the  variation  of  form — 
have  been  quite  confirmed  by  many  who  have  made  a  special  study 
of  bacilli.  To  my  mind  the  variation  of  form  and  the  variation  of 
potentiality  constitute  one  of  the  most  interesting  subjects  of  bio- 
logical inquiry  at  the  present  time;  and  there  is  just  one  other  very 
curious  point  in  which  microscopical  evidence  is  wanting  to  complete 
a  most  interesting  scientific  research.  Many  of  you  know,  I  have 
no  doubt,  that  the  process  of  what  is  called  nitrification,  or  the  pro- 
duction of  nitric  acid,  has  long  been  one  of  the  problems  of  che- 
mistry. Of  course  wre  all  know  that  nitric  acid  can  be  produced  by 
passing  a  succession  of  electric  sparks  through  a  mixture  of  nitro- 


188  the    president's   address. 

gen  and  oxygen — common  air,  even — but  still  more,  nitrogen  and 
oxygen  mixed  in  the  proportion  which  produces  nitric  acid.  Every 
thunderstorm  probably  produces  a  certain  small  amount  of  nitric 
acid  in  the  air,  but  it  is  in  the  soil,  you  know,  that  nitric  acid  seems 
to  be  produced,  and  Mr.  Waddington,  the  son  of  my  old  friend  Mr. 
Waddington,  of  the  old  Microscopical  Society,  has  published,  a  few 
months  ago,  a  most  interesting  paper,  which  has  made  a  great  im- 
pression upon  some  of  our  most  able  chemists,  leading  to  the  con^ 
elusion  that  this  nitrification  is  a  result  of  the  action  of  some  pn> 
tophyte.  He  has  not  been  able  to  discover  it  microscopically,  but 
the  experimental  evidence  is  so  strong  that  I  think  there  is  very 
little  doubt  entertained  by  some  of  those  to  whom  I  have  spoken  on 
the  subject  as  chemists — extremely  good  judges — that  some  minute 
organism  is  the  real  agent  in  producing  this  most  important  conver- 
sion. 

Now,  gentlemen,  I  feel  that  I  have  exhausted  the  little  strength 
that  I  had,  and  I  therefore  must  wish  you  farewell.  I  do  so  with 
great  regret  at  my  own  shortcomings,  but  with  every  hope  for  the 
future  welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  Club. 


189 


Q.M.C.  EXCURSIONS. 

List    of    Objects    Found   on    the    Excursion    to   Esher,   By 
Messrs.  J.  Funston  and  R.  T.  G.  Nevins. 


DESMIDIACEJE. 

Closterium. 

Micrasteria  rotata. 
DIATOM ACEsE. 

Nitzschia. 

Pinnularia. 

Pleurosigma  SpenceriL 
CRYPTOGAMIA. 

Mar chantia  polymorph*, 
PHANEROGAMIA. 

Drosera  rotundifolia. 


Sept.  6th,  1884. 

Hypericum  elodes. 

Peplis  portula. 

Scutellaria  minor. 
INFUSORIA. 

Actinophrys  Eichhornii. 

Peridinium^  sp. 

Stent  or  Miilleri. 

Trachelius  ovum. 

Vaginicola  crystallina. 
COCCIDM. 
A  white  Coccus  on  an  Agaric. 


The  Jay  was  very  wet,  and  only   three  members  went  on  this 
excursion. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Hale  End,  By 
Messrs.  W,  G.  Cocks,  J.  D.  Hardy,  R.  T.  G.  Nevins,  C.  Rous- 
selet,  J.  Spencer,  and  A.  Wildy. 


ALGjE. 

Protococcus  viridis. 
Uroglena  vol  vox. 
Volvox  globator. 

,,  ,,  in  an  abnormal 

mucoid  condition. 
DESMIBIACEM. 

Closterium    lunula^  monilife- 

rum,  and  others. 
Desmidium  Swartzii. 
Micrasteria  rotata. 


Sept.  20th,  1884. 

DIATOMACEM. 

Navicula. 

Pinnularia  oblonga. 
INFUSORIA. 

Ama?ba,  a  very  large  species. 
Anthophysa  Miilleri. 
Arcella  dentata. 

,,         vulgaris. 
Bursaria  vernalis. 

„  truncatella. 

Carchesium  polypinum. 


190 


INFUSORIA. 

Coleps  hirtus. 

Diffiugia  proteiformis. 

Dinobryon  petiolatum. 

Enchelys  nodulosa. 

,,  „     in  process  of 

subdivision. 

JSuglena  (viridis  ?)  with  bi- 
furcate tail.* 

Epistylis  anastatica,  attached 
in  tufts  to  Dytiscus  margi- 
n  alis. 

Hem idin ium  n a su turn. 

Loxophyllum  mileagris  (or 
Chilodon  cucullus). 

Peridininm  tabulatum. 

Phacus  longicanda. 

Rhipidodendron  Huxleyi. 

Spirostomum  ambiguum. 

Stentor  niger. 

Stylonichia  mytilus. 
HYDROZOA. 

Hydra  viridis. 


ROTIFERA. 

Anuraa  culeata. 

Brachionus  Bakeri,  &  others. 

Ceplialo  siphon  limnias. 

Floscularia  cornuta. 
,,  ornata. 

Lymnias  ceratophylli. 

Noteus  quadricomis. 

Notommata  clavidata. 

Polyarthra  trigla. 

Rotifer  vulgaris. 

Sal  pin  a. 

Scaridium  longicaudum. 

Squamella  bractea  ? 

Stephanoceros  Eichliomii. 

Triarthra  longiseta. 
COLEOPTERA. 

Dytiscus  marginalis. 

Gyrinus  natator. 
DIPT  ERA. 

Corethra  plumicornis.  Larva. 
HEMIPTERA. 

Nepa  cinerea. 


Twelve  members  of  the  Club,  and  four  members  of  the  Hackney 
Society,  attended  this  excursion,  which  was  a  very  successful  one. 
Two  remarkable  objects  were  found,  one  an  enormous  amoeboid, 
and  the  other  a  rare  rotifer,  Notommata  clavulata. 

List  of  Objects  Found  ox  the  Excursion  to  Richmond   Park, 
By  Messrs.  J.  D.  Hardy,  0.  Rousselet,  and  A.  Wildy. 

October  4th,  1884. 


CONFERVOID  ALG^. 

Lyngbya  muralis. 
Rivularia  angulosa. 
Spirogyra  quin  in  a . 
DESMIDIACEsE. 

Closterium,  sp.  very  minute. 


Closterium  lunula. 
Cosmarium  margaritiferum. 
Didymocladon  furcigerus . 
Pediastriim,  sp. 

g  rami  Latum. 

ptertusum. 
Scenedesmus  quadricauda. 


>) 


>> 


*  The  Eur/lena  with  "  bifurcate  tail "  which  was  found  by  Mr.  Hardy,  is 
probably  Chlorogonium  euchlorum,  Ehr.,  the  distinctive  characters  of  which 
are — "  a  red  eye-spot,  a  tail,  and  two  anterior  filaments  " 


191 


INFUSORIA. 

Anthophysa  vegetans. 

Arcella  vulgaris. 

Carchesium  polypinum. 

Cothurnia. 

DiJJiugia  proteiformis. 

Dileptus  folium. 

JEpistylis  grandis. 

Euglypha  alveolata. 

Monads,  collared. 

Ophrydium  versatile. 

Vaginicola  crystallina 

Vorticella,  with    short   thick 
stem,  much  branched. 
HYDROZOA. 

Hydra  fusca. 


ROTIFER  A. 

Cephalosiphon  limn ias. 
Dinocharis  tetractis. 
Floscularia  regcdis. 
Limnias  ceratophylli. 
Melicerta  ringens. 
Scaridium  longicaudum. 
Stephanoceros  Eichhornii. 
ENTOMOSTRACA. 
Alona  ovuta. 
Cypris  reptans. 
Daphnia    male,     very    large 

body,  2  mm.  long. 
Sida  crystcdlina. 


Mr.  Rousselet  reports  finding  the  new  and  beautiful  Floscularia 
ngalis,  which  was  described  and  figured  in  the  Journal  of  the  Royal 
Microscopical  Society. 

Eight  members  of  the  Club,  and  one  member  of  the  South  London 
Society,  attended  the  Excursion. 


List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Hackney  Marshes 
By  Messrs.  J.  Funston,  J.  D.  Hardy,  G.  E.  Mainland,  and 

C.  ROUSSELET. 

October  18th,  1884. 


CONFERVOID  ALGsE. 

Oscillator  ia. 

Spirulina  oscdlatorioides. 
DESMIDIA  CE^E. 

Closterium  acerosum. 
„         lunula. 

Cosmarium  tetraophthalmum. 

Scenedesmus  quadricauda. 
DIATOMACE.E. 

Navicula,  several  species. 

Stauroneis,  sp. 


INFUSORIA. 

Arcella  vulgaris. 
Carchesium  poly  pin  um. 
Chilodon  cucullus. 
Dileptus  folium. 
Euglena  acus. 
Euplotes  vannus. 
Paramecium  aurelia. 
Stentor  Miilleri. 

polymorp)hus. 

viridis. 
Stylonichia. 


v 


>> 


192 

The  foul  state  of  the  River  Lea,  and  the  Lea  and  Stort  Naviga- 
gation  from  sewage  deposit,  prevented  many  objects  usually  found 
therein  from  being  obtained. 


List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  the  Gardens  op 
the  Royal  Botanic  Society  of  London.  By  Dr.  M.  C. 
Cooke,  Messrs.  E.  Dadswell,  C.  G.  Dunning,  H.  E. 
Freeman,  H.  G.  Glasspoole,  G.  E.  Mainland,  R.  T.  G. 
Nevins,  F.  Oxley,  H.  W.  Parritt,  C.  Rousselet,  and  G. 
E.  Western. 


18th  April,  1885. 


FUNGI. 

Ceuthospora  lauri,  Fr. 
Diaporthe  resecans,  N. 
Phoma  leucostigma,  D.  C. 
,,       ligustrina*  S. 
„       stiticum,  B. 
„       vulgaris,  S. 
Rabenhorstia  rudis,  Fr. 
DESMIDI^CE^. 
Closterium  acerosum. 
,,  lunula. 

sp. 
Docidium,  sp. 
Pediastrum  Boryanum . 
,,  granulatum. 

sp. 
Raphidium  falcatum  (Ankis- 

trodesmus  falcatus) 
Scenedesmus  obliquus. 

,,  quadricaudata. 

,,  sp. 

DIATOMACEsE. 
Cocconema  lanceolatum. 


Cocconema  sp. 
Encyonema  cwspitosum. 

„  sp. 

Epithemia,  sp. 
Fragillaria,  sp. 
Gomphonema  geminatum. 

„  sp. 

Melosira  nummuloides. 

sp. 
Navicula,  sp. 
Pinnularia,  sp. 
Pleurosigma  Spenceri. 

„  sp. 

Synedra  radians. 

„      sp. 
ALGM. 

Botryococcus  Braunii. 
Cladophora  glomerata. 
Nostoc  commune. 
Oscillaria,  sp. 
Protococcus  riridis. 
Spirogyra,  two  sp. 
Teiraspora  lubrica. 


*  Determined  for  the  first  time  as  British. 


193 


PROTOZOA, 

Acineta  mystacina. 


>) 


sp. 


Acineta  stage  of  Opercularia 

articulata  ? 
Actino splice ri urn  Eichhornii. 
Actinophrys  sol. 

„  three  sp. 

Another      rhizopod      much 
smaller  than  A.  sol,  hav- 
ing  numerous  moniliform 
rays. 
Actinophrys  stage  of  Vorti- 

cella  microstoma  ? 
Amcebaprinceps. 

„      sp. 
Arcella  vulgaris. 
Coleps  liirtus. 
Cothurnia  unberbis. 
Dileptus  folium. 
Epistylis  anastatica. 
„         Jlav  leans. 
„  grand  is. 

„  nutans. 

Euplotes  charon. 
,,      patella. 
Opercularia    (epistylis)    nu- 
tans. 
PROTOZOA. 

Phacus      (Eaglena)     longi- 

cauda. 
Phacus  sp. 
Spliaropkyra  sol. 
Stentor  co?ruleus. 
M  idler  i. 
polymorphus. 
sp. 


>> 


5) 


>) 


55 


Trachelitis  ovum. 
Tracheolerca  olor. 
Trichodiscus  sol. 
Vaginicola  crystallina. 

„         sp. 
Vorticella  campanula, 
nebulifera. 
spectabilis. 
„         sp. 
Zooth a. m n iu m  arbuscula. 
sp. 
PORIFERA. 

Spongilla,  sp. 
CCELENTERATA. 
Hydra  viridia. 
Limnocodium     (craspedacus- 
tes)  Sowerbii. 
ROTIFERA. 

Anura?a  curvicornis. 
L'rachionus  amphiceros. 
arceolaris. 


j? 


>> 


sp. 


Callidina  elegans. 
Chaitonotus  larus. 
Enteroplea  hydatina. 
Eosphora  digitata. 
Euchlanis  triquetra. 

„        sp. 
Floscularia  cornnta. 

,,  ornata. 

Lepadella,  sp  ? 
Limnias  ceratophylli. 
Afastigocerca  carinata. 
Monocerca  rattus. 
Notommata  hyptopus. 
CEcistes  crystallinus. 
umbella. 


)) 


*  A  curious  species  having  the  tentacles  in  bundles  of  five  or  six,  pro- 
ceeding from  a  common  point  and  extending  to  different  lengths  in  close 
opposition,  having  the  appearance  of  single  knotted  tentacles. 


194 


ROTIFER  A. 

ENTOMOSTRACA. 

Fldlodina  erythropthalma. 

Canthocamptus  minutus . 

„        sp. 

„                  sp. 

Pterodina  patina. 

Chydorus  sph&ricus. 

Rotifer  vulgaris. 

Cyclops  quadricomis. 

Synchaite,  sp. 

„        tenuicornis. 

Triarthra  longiseta. 

„       sp. 

TARDIGRADA. 

Cypris  fusca. 

Ma crob io tu s  Hufela ndii. 

„         sp. 

ANNELIDA. 

Daphnia  pulex. 

Angitillula,  sp. 

MOLLUSCOIDA. 

Nais,  sp. 

Fredericella  sidtana. 

The  day  was  very  fine.  About  sixty-two  persons  attended 
the  Excursion,  of  whom  14  were  members  of  other  Societies,  or 
friends. 


Fredk.  A.  Parsons, 
Hon.  Sec.  Excursions  Sub.-Com. 


195 


PROCEEDINGS. 

April  10th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  fifth  and  last  of  the  series  of  demonstrations  was  given  by  Dr.  W.  B. 
Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  &c,  the  subject  being  the  structure  of  the 
skeleton  of  the  Echinodermata. 

He  was  assisted  by  Mr.  Lewis  Wright,  who  exhibited  on  a  screen,  by  the 
aid  of  the  new  patent  gas  microscope,    some   beautiful    photographs  and 
microscopic   preparations  of   echinoderms,    spine    sections,    spicules,    &c, 
illustrating  the  lecture. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  library  : — 

Section  of  Cocoanut  shell...         ...         ...     Mr.  F.  Coles. 

Bacillus  anthracis,  with  spores...  ...     Mr.  W.  J.  Curties. 

Eggs  of  Vapourer  moth     ...  ...         ...     Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Diatoms,  Biddulphia  granulata  ...  ...     Mr.  H.  Morlaud. 

Cholera  Bacillus     ...         ...  ...         ...     Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

Polyxenus  lagurus...  ...         ...         ...     Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Type  slide  of  50  Diatoms  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Attendance — Members,  55  j    Visitors,  7. 


April    24th,  1885. — Ordinary    Meeting. 

A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the 

Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

Mr.  A.  E.  Russell  was  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  a  member  of  the 
Club. 

The  Secretary  read  a  letter  which  had  been  received  by  Mr.  Hailes,  the 
Hon.  Sec.  for  Foreign  Correspondence,  intimating  that  in  recognition  of 
the  courtesies  extended  to  their  Secretary  during  his  recent  visit  to 
England  he  (Mr.  Hailes)  had  been  elected  an  Honorary  Member  of  the 
Denver  Microscopical  Society. 

The  following  donations  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings   of  the  New  York   Microscopical ) 

Society"      i      From  the  Society. 

"Proceedings    of    the    Canadian    Institute    of  1 

Toronto" J  "  " 

"  The  American  Naturalist "  ...         ...  ...      In  exchange. 

"Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society"         ., 
Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  13. 


*ov 


196 

"Quarterly  Joiirnal  of  Microscopical  Science''    ...     Purchased. 

H  Annals  of  Natural  History "  ...         ...  ...  if 

"  Seven   Slides  in  illustration  of  Mr.  Cheshire's  1       -n         tm-     -n       1 

}      From  Mr.  Enock. 
paper  on  the  Anatomy  of  the  Bee  ...  J 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  the  donors,  and 
on  the  motion  of  the  Chairman  a  special  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  Mr. 
Enock  for  his  valuable  addition  to  the  Cabinet. 

A  paper  by  the  Eev.  G.  J.  Burch,  "  On  a  New  Flagellate  Infusorian," 
Was  read  by  the  Secretary. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Burch  for  his  communi- 
cation. 

Mr.  F.  E.  Cheshire  gave  a  resume  of  his  paper  "  On  the  Economy  of  the 
Hive  Bee."  Commencing  with  a  description  of  the  formation  and  varieties 
of  the  cell,  the  life  history  of  the  bee  was  traced  from  the  egg  to  the 
mature  condition,  in  the  cases  of  workers,  drones,  and  queens,  details  being 
given  as  to  the  different  periods  and  other  circumstances  peculiar  to  each. 
The  subject  was  treated  in  a  very  interesting  and  popular  manner,  and  was 
illustrated  by  a  number  of  beautifully-executed  diagrams,  showing  the 
anatomy  of  these  insects. 

The  Chairman,  in  inviting  remarks  upon  the  subject,  said  it  was  certainly 
a  matter  of  extreme  interest  to  hear  a  subject  discussed  in  so  popular  a 
manner,  by  a  gentleman  so  well  qualified  to  undertake  it  from  his  thorough 
acquaintance  with  the  economy  and  the  anatomy  of  the  bee,  down  to  its 
very  minutest  details.  With  regard  to  the  casting  of  the  skin  of  the 
alimentary  canal,  this  was  a  matter  not  in  any  special  way  confined  to  the 
bee,  but  belonged  also  to  other  larval  forms,  in  which  the  casts  were  some- 
times effected  with  such  perfection  that  details  could  often  be  made  out 
through  them  which  could  not  be  seen  in  other  ways.  He  did  not  know 
that  it  was  necessary  to  press  the  lining  of  the  alimentary  canal  into 
service  in  order  to  explain  how  the  cast  skin  filled  the  cell,  because  as  it 
was  cast  during  the  growing  period  it  would  be  extremely  elastic,  as  com- 
pared with  the  skin  of  the  adult  insect,  and  would  therefore  always  cover  a 
much  larger  space  than  it  occupied  before  separation.  He  was  sure  that 
the  members  would  feel  greatly  indebted  to  Mr.  Cheshire,  especially  as  they 
could  so  thoroughly  rely  upon  the  information  received. 

Mr.  Hammond  called  attention  to  the  fact  that  the  eyes  of  the  drone  were 
larger  and  more  prominent  than  those  of  the  bee,  occupying  so  large  a 
space,  indeed,  as  to  meet  at  the  top  of  the  head.  This  was  also  observed 
to  be  the  case  with  the  male  blow-fly,  and  he  inquired  if  it  was  common  to 
the  males  of  other  insects,  and  if  so,  for  what  probable  reason  ? 

Mr.  Cheshire  said  that  theory  would  account  for  it  by  the  fact  that  the 
queen  seldom  mated  with  a  drone  from  her  own  hive,  and  as  the  drones  had 
to  follow  the  queen  by  sight  on  the  wing  they  would  need  acute  eyes — for 
similar  reasons,  no  doubt,  the  queen  had  small  wings  as  compared  with  the 
drone. 

The  Chairman  said  it  was  not  only  in  the  case  of  flies,  but  also  in  the 
bymenoptera  that  this  kind  of  variation  was  to  be  observed,  both  as  regarded 


197 

the  eyes  and  the  antennae — for  if  the  antennae  were  set  wider  apart  tha 
eyes  must  of  course  be  wider  also  ;    or,  on  the  other  hand,  if  the  approxima- 
tion of  the  eyes  was  altered  the  position  of  the  antennae  must  be  varied 
accordingly. 

Mr.  Nelson  inquired  what  was  represented  by  a  red  spot  shown  on  the 
top  of  the  head  of  the  bee  in  the  diagram  ? 

Mr.  Cheshire  said  it  was  one  of  three  simple  eyes,  or  ocelli. 
Dr.  Matthews  asked  if  Mr.  Cheshire  could  give  them  any  reason  for  the 
high  temperature  which  had  been  observed  to  exist  in  bee  hives  ? 

Mr.  Cheshire  said  this    was  rather  a  question  for  the  chemist  than  the 

naturalist,    but  it  appeared   to  be  due  to  the  constant  oxydation  of  sugar  ; 

the  honey  collected  consisted  mainly  of  cane  sugar,  which  was  gradually 

converted  into  grape   sugar,  in   the  process   of  which  a  large  amount  of 

oxydation  went  on.     The  behaviour  of  the  bees  was  peculiar  under  different 

conditions  of  temperature — at  40°  they  were  quiet,  but  if  it  fell  below  that 

they  kept  moving,  and  at  0°  their  movements  were  much  more  active,  and 

they  kept  moving  their  wings  as  if  in  this  way  to  keep  up  the  temperature. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  read  a  paper  "  On  the  Pygidium   of  the  Flea/'  in  the 

course  of  which  he  stated  that  he  had  taken  up  this  object  from  a  "  brass 

and   glass "  point    of   view,    because   he    found   it  was  referred  to  in  the 

"  Micrographic  Dictionary  "  eight  or  nine  times  as  a  test  object,  whereas  he 

found    that  the  so-called    hairs  were  spines,  which  formed   nothing   that 

could  be  called  any  sort  of  test  for  a  high  power  objective.       If,  however, 

they  would  take  some  of  the  hairs  which  were  found  on  the  proboscis  of  a 

blow-fly,  tbey  would  find  that  one  of  the  finest  things  they  could  see  was  the 

ultimate  end  of  one  of  these  hairs.      In  answer  to  the  question,  what  was 

the  Pygidium  ?    ho  was   inclined  to  regard  it  as  an  auditory    apparatus. 

There  were  some  round  holes  which  he  thought  were  probably  the  ends  of 

eustachian  tubes,  and  the  filaments  or  hairs  would  no  doubt  be  of  use  in 

catching  and  communicating  sonorous  vibrations. 

Mr.  Michael  said  he  had  seen  Mr.  Nelson's  method  of  exhibiting  these 
objects,  and  could  therefore  vouch  for  the  accuracy  of  his  descriptions. 
With  regard  to  the  suggestion  that  the  Pygidium   might  be  an  auditory 
apparatus,  though  it   might  seem  to  be  a  somewhat  unusual  position  for 
such  an  organ,  yet  the  position  of  the  flea's  head  ^hen  feeding   was  such 
that  any  organ  situated  there  for  the  purpose   of   hearing  would  be  dis- 
advantageous^ placed  for  the  purpose. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  Mr.  Cheshire  and 
Mr.  Nelson  for  their  communications. 

Announcements  of  meetings  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made,  and 
the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione,  when  the  follow- 
ing objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Water  mite,  Atax  apsilophora    ...  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Lophojjus  crystallinaj         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Gr.  Dunning. 

Aquatic  worm       ...  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Larva  of  Chironomus  jprasinus   ...         ...     Mr.  A.  Hammond. 

Fly,  with  parasite  attached        ...         ...     Col.  O'llara. 


198 


Limnocodium  Sowerbii     ... 

Diatoms,  Mastogloia  angulata 

Limnocodium  Sowerbii    ... 

Fredericella 

JUedusa 

Diatoms,  Epit hernia  sp.   ... 

Coscinodiscus  sol. 


Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  C.  Le  Pelley. 


ji 


Mr.  C.  Upton. 
Mr.  G.  C.  Wallich. 


Attendance — Members,  58  ;    Visitors,  5. 


May  8th,   1885. —  Conversational  Meeting. 


The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  library  : — 

Zoophyte,  Phalansterium  digitatum  ...         ...  Mr. 

Legs  of  various  Bees  Mr. 

Sprouting  Apple  Pip Mr. 

Month  of  Balanus       ...  ...         ...         ...         ...  Mr. 

Palate  of  Trochus       ...  ...  ...  Mr. 

iEcidium  and  Ui'omyces  on  Ranunculus  ficaria  ...  Mr, 

Diatoms,  Navicula  Trevelyana        ...  ...         ...  Mr. 

Diatoms,  Navicula  Lyra        ...  Mr. 

Corethra  plumicornis...         ...  ...         ...         ...  Mr. 

Diatoms,  Porpeia  ornata       ...         ...  ...         ...  Mr. 

Spicules  of  Gorgonia,  and  Holothuria         ...         ...  Mr. 

Spinnerets  of  Garden  Spider  ...  ...  ...  Mr. 

Attendance — Members,  48  ;  Visitors,  8. 


F.  W.  Andrew. 
F.  Enock. 
H.  Epps. 

F.  Fitch. 

W.  M.  Holmes. 

G.  E.  Mainland. 
H.  Morland. 

E.  M.  Nelson. 
E.  T.  G.  Nevins. 
G.  Sturt. 
W.  Watson. 
J.  Willson. 


May  22nd,  1885. — Ordinary  Meeting. 

Dr.   John  Matthews,   F.R.M.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club  :— Mr.  Henry  Buckland,   Mr.  John  W.  Clinch,   Mr.  P.  W.  Pocock, 
Mr.  W.  Rhein,  and  Mr.  Thomas  Williams. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Dublin  Society  "  ...  From  the  Society. 

"  Proceedings  of  the  New  York  Microscopical  Society  "    ,, 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Botanical  Society  of  Edinburgh"    ,, 

"  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Dublin  Society  "  ...     „  „ 

Six  Slides  of  Parasites  „  Mr.  Freeman. 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  unanimously  voted  to  the  donors,  especially 
to  Mr.  Freeman  for  his  valuable  addition  to  the  Cabinet. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  described  some  experiments  which  he  had  been  making 
with  the  binocular  microscope.  He  had  long  thought  that  the  binocular 
did  not  give  images  so  good  as  the  monocular,  and  he  had  endeavoured  to 
find  out  how  this  came  about,  and  to  remedy  it  if  possible.     He  obtained  a 


>» 


» 


199 

Wenham  prism  of  good  quality,  and  had  it  properly  fitted  ;  then,  finding  that 
the  left  tube  was  rather  longer  than  the  right,  he  had  the  eyepieces 
differently  focussed  to  suit,  having  them  so  marked  as  to  be  able  to  tell  the 
one  from  the  other.  Having  done  this,  he  found  that  matters  were  im- 
proved, but  that  there  was  still  something  more  which  required  a  remedy. 
To  test  it  he  took  one  of  the  fine  bristles  from  the  maxillary  palpi  of  a  blow- 
fly, but  he  found  that  no  kind  of  illumination  would  make  it  appear  sharp  if 
it  were  placed  on  the  stage  in  a  vertical  position,  but  if  it  were  placed 
horizontally  across  the  prism  it  was  perfectly  shown.  Another  experiment 
was  in  respect  of  the  stereoscopic  effects  obtained  when  the  object  was  in 
different  positions,  and  the  object  selected  for  this  purpose  was  the  central 
pseudo-trachea  of  the  proboscis  of  the  blow-fly.  On  examining  this  he 
found  that  when  it  was  placed  in  a  vertical  position,  there  was  no  difference 
between  the  stereoscopic  effect  with  and  without  the  prism,  except  as  re- 
garded the  marginal  portions  of  the  field,  where  the  eyes  were  to  a  certain 
extent  deceived,  but  when  the  object  was  placed  horizontally  a  strongly 
stereoscopic  effect  was  produced.  On  the  central  membrane  of  the 
trachea  there  were  a  number  of  small  spines,  which  formed  excellent  test 
objects,  and  if  these  were  placed  vertically  they  appeared  foggy,  and  nothing 
could  be  clearly  made  out  about  them  ;  but  when  seen  in  the  horizontal 
position  their  appearance  was  so  changed  that  it  was  hardly  possible  to 
recognise  them  as  the  same  objects.  In  his  specimen  there  was  a  slight 
dip  or  depression  in  one  part  of  the  membrane,  which  could  not  be  perceived 
under  any  illumination  with  the  monocular,  but  under  the  binocular,  in 
a  horizontal  position,  it  was  perfectly  well  seen,  though  the  same  instru- 
ment failed  entirely  to  show  it  when  the  major  axis  of  the  lips  was  in  a  ver- 
tical position.  He  wished  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  members  of  the 
Club  to  these  matters,  in  the  hope  that  someone  might  be  able  to  find  out 
the  cause  of  the  difference  and  to  suggest  a  remedy. 

Professor  Charles  Stewart  said  that  Mr.  Nelson's  attention  appeared  to 
have  been  chiefly  directed  to  the  effects  produced  upon  lines.  He  should, 
therefore,  like  to  ask  if  he  had  tested  the  effects  also  by  points  or  discs,  so 
as  to  ascertain  if  a  circle  had  any  tendency  to  become  elliptical  in  a 
horizontal  direction  ?  because,  though  such  an  effect  might  be  due  to  some 
quality  of  the  instrument,  it  might  also  be  explained  by  supposing  it  to  be 
due  to  astigmatic  vision. 

Mr.  Nelson  said  he  had  not  examined  points  in  the  same  way,  but  he  had 
experimented  with  diatoms  and  found  the  difference  in  the  stereoscopic 
effects  to  be  surprisingly  marked,  especially  in  the  case  of  Heliope.lta. 

Mr.  Karop  thought  the  effect  was  probably  astigmatic,  though  it  possibly 
might  be  due  to  some  optical  cause,  and  enquired  if  Mr.  Nelson  had  made 
his  experiments  with  more  than  one  prism,  as  perhaps  there  might  be  some 
defect  in  this  particular  prism. 

The  Chairman  said  that,  as  regarded  the  difference  in  the  length  of  focus 
of  the  left  hand  tube,  he  might  mention  that  Messrs.  Powell  and  Lealand 
always  marked  their  eyepieces  R  and  L,  each  being  compensated  for  the 
length  of  the  tube  they  were  intended  for.     However  perfect. a  prism  might 


200 

be,  it  would  have  some  variations  in  density,  the  effects  of  which  would  be 
greatly  aggravated  by  striae  5  he  believed  it  was  absolutely  impossible  to 
get  one  uniformly  dense  throughout.  As  to  the  appearance  of  the  hair, 
he  thought  this  was  very  likely  a  question  of  the  angle  of  the  lens.  Dr. 
Carpenter  had  recommended  for  the  purpose  a  low-angled  ^in. 

Mr.  Hardy  understood  Mr.  Nelson  to  say  that  some  of  these  appearances 
were  equally  seen  with  the  monocular  •  if  so,  had  he  tried  rotating  the 
object  glass  so  as  to  ascertain  if  the  fault  was  in  any  way  due  to  that  ? 

Mr.  Nelson  said  he  did  not  mean  to  imply  that  there  was  anything  like 
this  distortion  with  the  monocular,  but  only  that  with  the  binocular  the 
blur  was  seen  in  the  vertical  position  of  the  object.  He  had  tried  various 
objectives,  as  a  |in.  of  80°,  a  £in.  of  40°,  a  lin.  of  30°,  and  a  fin.  of  35°. 
He  had  also  tried  those  of  various  makers,  so  that  he  did  not  think  there 
was  anything  in  them  to  cause  the  error;  he  had  also  tried  a  different 
prism  and  several  different  instruments  on  the  pseudo-trachea.  He  had 
noticed  an  imperfect  diffusion  of  the  light  as  it  passed  through  the  prism, 
and  he  did  not  suppose  it  was  possible  to  put  any  piece  of  glass  in  the 
course  of  the  rays  without  affecting  them  in  a  greater  or  less  degree. 

The  Chairman  said  that  in  practice  a  number  of  prisms  were  worked  to- 
gether, so  as  to  obtain  a  better  and  flatter  surface,  but  he  maintained  that  it 
was  not  possible  by  any  process  of  grinding  to  produce  surfaces  which  were 
absolutely  flat. 

Mr.  Hailes  said  there  was  one  source  of  error  which  had  not  been  noticed, 
and  that  was  that  in  using  the  Wenham  binocular  they  looked  through  the 
prism  with  one  eye,  but  not  with  the  other  ;  he  should  like  to  hear  if  Mr, 
Nelson  had  tried  these  experiments  with  the  Stephenson  binocular,  where 
there  were  two  prisms,  and  each  eye  saw  the  object  under  the  same 
conditions. 

Mr.  Nelson  said  he  had  tried  the  Stephenson  binocular  and  found  that 
there  was  no  image  at  all  worth  comparing  with  that  shown  by  the 
Wenham  instrument,  whilst  the  loss  of  light  was  very  considerable.  For 
convenience  of  working  it  might  be  a  useful  form  ;  but  he  had  never  seen 
an  object  shown  by  it  in  a  manner  he  considered  worth  looking  at. 

Mr.  Parsons  gave  some  account  of  an  organism  which  he  had  found  at  the 
Royal  Botanic  Society's  Gardens  in  Regent's  Park — he  thought  it  was  some 
kind  of  Acincta,  and  made  a  rough  drawing  of  it  upon  the  board  in  order 
that  the  members  might  be  able  to  assist  him  in  identifying  it. 

The  President  having  requested  the  members  present  to  help  Mr.  Parsons 
to  a  diagnosis  of  the  creature,  a  vote  of  thanks  was  passed  to  him  for  his 
communication. 

Members  were  reminded  that  at  the  next  ordinary  meeting  they  would  be 
asked  to  nominate  and  elect  an  auditor  of  the  accounts,  and  also  to  nominate 
some  of  their  number  for  election  as  members  of  Committee  at  the  forth- 
coming annual  meeting. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  excursions,  and  of  the  excursionists'  annual 
dinner  were  then  made,  and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  con- 
versazione, and  the  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 


201 


X 


Argulus  foliaceua ... 

Rhyncholophus  phalangoides     ... 

Stellate  hairs,  Deutzia    ... 

Aquatic  larva 

Arachnoi  discus  ornata  in  situ.    ... 

Cholera  bacillns  ... 

Diatoms,  Cocconeis  sp.    ... 

T.S.  stem  of  Lime  tree  ... 

Attendance — Members,  44  j 


...  Mr.  C.  Dunning. 

...  Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

...  Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

...  Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

...  Mr.  H.  Morland. 

...  Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

...  Mr.  C.  Upton. 

...  Mr.  J.  Willson. 
Visitors,  3. 


June  12th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 


The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 
Asplancha  Ebbesbornii  ... 
Nitella  tenuissima 
Cjclosis  in  Anacharis     ... 
Utricularia  minor,  with  captured  prey 
Diatoms,  Tricerathim  orbicidatum 
Sponge,  Farrea  Occa,  from  Japan,  showing 

the  veil  of  spicules 
Chelifer     ...  


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  E.  Dadswell. 
Mr.  G.  Hind. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 
Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 


Attendance — Members,  38  ;  Visitors,  4. 

June  26th,  1885. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
Dr.    Jno.   Matthews,    F.R.M.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the  Chair. 


From  the  Society. 


» 


The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced : — 
"Proceedings    of    the    Royal      Microscopical 

Society"        ...  ) 

"  Proceedings  of   the  Natural  History  Society') 

of  Glasgow  "...         ...         ...         ...         ...) 

"Proceedings  of  the  East  of  Scotland  Natural-") 

ists' Union "  ...  ...  ...  ...  ...j 

"  Journal   of    the    New    York    Microscopical ) 

Society"        ...  ...  ...         ...  ...) 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Chester  Society  of  Natural") 

Science"        ...         ...  ...  ) 

"  Report  of  Hackney  Microscopical  and  Natural") 

History  Society "     ...         ...  ...         ...J 

"  The  American  Naturalist  '*     ... 
"  The  American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal  " 
"  Annals  of  Natural  History  "  ... 
"  Quarterly  Journal  of  Microscopical  Science  " 
The  thanks  of  the  Society  were  voted  to  the  donors 


>> 


» 


»» 


>» 


In  exchange. 
Purchased. 


202 

The  Secretary  reminded  the  members  present  that,  in  accordance  with 
the  rales  of  the  Society,  nominations  for  Officers  and  Members  of  Committee 
for  the  ensuing  year  must  be  made  that  evening,  and  that  a  list  of  persons 
so  nominated  would  be  printed  on  the  balloting  lists  and  submitted  for 
election  at  the  Annual  Meeting  on  July  24th.  It  would  also  be  necessary 
to  propose  and  to  elect  twro  Auditors  of  accounts,  in  order  that  they  might 
present  their  cash  statement  at  the  annual  meeting.  The  President  and 
Officers,  together  with  one  Auditor,  were  nominated  by  the  Council,  but  it 
was  competent  for  any  member  to  substitute  other  names  at  the  time  of 
election,  if  it  was  desired  to  do  so. 

The  following  nominations  on  behalf  of  the  Council  were  then  made  : — 
As  President— Mr.  A.  D.  Michael,  F.L.S.,  F.E.M.S. 
As  Vice-Presidents— Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  Dr. 

Jno.  Matthews,  Professor  Chas.  Stewart. 
As  Hon.  Treasurer — Mr.  F.  W.  Gay. 
As  Hon.  Secretary — Mr.  G.  C.  Karop. 
As  Hon.  Foreign  Secretary — Mr.  H.  F.  Hailes. 
As  Hon.  Reporter — Mr.  R.  T.  Lewis. 
As  Hon.  Librarian — Mr.  Alpheus  Smith. 
As  Hon.  Curator — Mr.  C.  Emery. 
And  as  Auditor  on  behalf  of  the  Council — Mr.  W.  Hainworth,  jun. 
The  Chairman  said  it  was  now  the  duty  of  the  members  to  propose  the 
name  of  some  gentleman  to  act  on   their   behalf  as  Auditor  in  conjunction 
with  Mr.  Hainworth. 

Mr.  Dobson  was  thereupon  proposed  by  Mr.  Parsons  and  seconded  by 
Mr.  Buffham. 

These  nominations  having  been  submitted  to  the  meeting,  Messrs.  Hain- 
worth and  Dobson  were  duly  elected  the  Auditors  of  the  Society's  accounts. 
The  Chairman  said  their  next  business  was  to  nominate  four  or  more 
gentlemen  to  fill  vacancies  on  the  Committee,  caused  by  the  retirement  by 
rotation  of  Messrs.  Groves,  Hardy,  Jacques,  and  Nelson,  who  were,  however, 
eligible  for  re-election  if  the  members  thought  fit. 

The  following  nominations  were  then  made : — 
Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson,   proposed  by  Mr.  Waller,  seconded  by  Mr.  Hardy. 
Mr.  Hembrey,  „  Mr.  Priest,  „  Mr.  Dadswell. 

Mr.  Freeman,  „  Mr.  Buffham,  ,,  Mr.  Hailes. 

Mr.  George  Western,     „  Mr.  Parsons,  „  Mr.  Priest. 

Mr.  Groves,  ,,  Mr.  Lewis,  ,,  Mr.Alpheus  Smith. 

Mr.  W.  W.  Reeves,        „  Mr.  Hembrey,       ,,  Mr.  Gregory. 

The  Secretary  said  that  they  had  received,  through  Mr.  Kitton,  a  paper 
"  On  the  History  of  some  New  Diatoms,"  by  Professor  Cleve,  of  Upsala. 
It  was  a  most  valuable  contribution,  but  was,  he  thought,  both  too  long  and 
too  technical  to  be  read  at  the  meeting  on  that  occasion.  It  would  there- 
fore be  taken  as  read,  and  would  be  printed  in  extenso  in  the  Journal,  so 
that   all  would  have  the  opportunity  of  reading  it  at  their  leisure. 

The  thanks  of  the  Society  were  unanimously  voted  to  Professor  Cleve 
for  his  communication. 


203 

Mr.  E.T.  Lewis  exhibited  and  described  a  new  Gange  which  had  recently 
been  invented  for  the  purpose  of  readily  ascertaining  the  thickness  of  wires 
or  plates,  and  which  was  capable  of  indicating  the  results  with  accuracy  to 
the  yo^o  of  an  inch.     He  thought   perhaps  some  apology  might  be  needed 
for  troubling  them  with  a  matter  which   was  not  strictly  of  microscopical 
interest,  and  had  not  the  excuse  of  being  made  of  either  brass  or  glass ;  but 
although,  so  far  as  he  was  aware,  its  inventor  had  not  intended  to  apply  it 
to  any  microscopical  purpose,   it  had  been  found  of  use  in  the  measurement 
of  glass  slides,  cells,  and  covers,  and  as   such  he  had  been  asked  to  bring 
it  to  the  meeting.      It  was   really   made   for  the  use  of   electricians  and 
engineers,  to  replace,  with  considerable    advantage,  the  old  form  of  wire 
gauge,  which  merely  consisted  of  a  steel  plate  having  a  series  of  slots  cut 
in  the  edges,   each  of    which  was  numbered  according  to  an  agreed  scale. 
The  article  to  be  gauged  was  tried  in  these,  and  the  number  of  the  one  into 
which  it  most  nearly  fitted  was  said   to  be   its  "  gauge."     Eecently,  the 
question  of  gauges  had  been  considered  by  Chambers  of  Commerce,  and  as 
it  appeared    that  those   in   common   use   were  often  at   variance,  a  new 
"  Standard  Wire  Gauge  "  had  been  agreed  upon,  and  with  the  sanction  and 
authority  of  the  Board  of   Trade  now  superseded  the  old  Birmingham  Wire 
Gauge.     The  differences   between   the   two  were  not  sufficient  to  alter  the 
number  of  the  gauge,  though  when  subjected  to  accurate  measurement  it 
would  be  found  that  these  differences    ranged  from  1  to  5  thousandths  of 
an  inch.     For   purposes  of   scientific  or  international  measurement  it  was 
frequently  desirable   to    express  thickness    in   fractions  or  decimals  of  the 
inch  or  millimetre,  and  the  ordinary  form   of  gauge  was   quite  useless  for 
this  purpose  ;  there  was   too   much  difference  between   the  sizes,  and  any 
attempt  to  measure  by  means  of  a  ruled  standard  micrometer  would  render 
only  imperfect  results,  even  where  hundredths  of   an  inch  were  attempted. 
The   new  gauge   before  them    (known  as  Trotter's  Patent)  was,  however, 
capable  of  showing  at  a  glance,  and  by  one  operation,  not  only  the  Standard 
Gauge,  but  the  proportional  part  of  an  inch  to  3  places  of  decimals,  and  that 
of    the    millimetre   to  two   places   of    decimals.     The    instrument    was    of 
polished  steel,  in  size  2|in.    long  and   ^in.   wide,  and  made  in  two  pieces 
which  were  accurately  fitted  to   slide  one  in  the  other  by  means  of  a  dove- 
tailed   groove,  the  edges   of  the  outer  section  being  milled  for  convenience 
of  holding  whilst  the  inner  slide  was  being  moved.     On   the  lower  edge  of 
each  section  was  a  scale  divided  and  marked  by  figures  from  6  to  40.     The 
upper  edge  of  the  outer  section  was   divided   for  the  space  of   1   inch  into 
lOths  and  50ths,  and  the  adjoining  space  for  the  length  of  1  centimetre  was 
divided  into  millimetres  and   halves.     The  modus   operandi  was  explained 
by  means  of  a  diagram,  it  being  simply    necessary  to  open  the  slide,  and 
having  pressed  the  substance   between   its  jaws,   to  read   off  the  required 
measurement  from  the  scales.     The   Standard   Gauge  was  ascertained  by 
finding  which  of  the  two  identical  numbers  on  the  lower  scales  were  coin- 
cident ;  in  the  diagram  these  were  the  16's,  so  that  the  thickness  was  deter- 
mined to  be  number  16  s.w.g.     Turning  to  the  upper  1  inch  scale,  it  was  seen 
that  the  arrow  head  of  the  zero  mark  was  slightly  beyond  the  third  division 


204 

of  the  -Jy  inch  graduations,  and  that  the  fourth  mark  of  the  vernier  was  coin- 
cident with  a  mark  on  the  scale  above,  the  reading  being,  therefore,  '0Q4; 
inch;  and  proceeding  in  the  same  way  with  the  adjoining  scale,  the  reading 
was  found  to  be  1'62  mm.  It  was  pointed  out  in  further  illustration  of  the 
ingenuity  of  the  invention  that  on  the  reverse  side  of  the  instrument  there 
was  another  scale  by  means  of  which  the  sectional  area  of  a  round  wire  was 
shown  in  thousandths  of  a  square  inch,  and  this  value  would  enable  the 
electrician  to  readily  determine  the  weight  per  100ft.,  the  resistance,  and 
the  quantity  of  current  which  the  wire  would  safely  carry. 

The  communication  was  illustrated  by  a  diagram,  and  by  the  exhibition 
of  the  patent  gauge,  together  with  a  standard  micrometer  rule,  divided  to 
64ths  and  lOOths  in. ;  and  also  one  of  the  ordinary  wire  gauges  by  way  of 
comparison. 

The  Chairman  said  the  contrast  between  the  two  gauges  was  certainly 
very  great,  and  he  could  not  sufficiently  admire  the  mechanism  of  the  little 
apparatus  before  them. 

Mr.  Hardy  had  often  thought  that  the  fine  adjustment  of  the  microscope 
might  generally  be  used  for  measuring  the  thickness  of  cover  glasses.  If  the 
screws  were  always  made  50  threads  to  the  inch,  then,  by  focussing  at  the 
top  and  bottom  of  a  cover  glass,  it  would  be  easy  to  ascertain  by  a  certain 
movement  exactly  the  thickness.  He  had  done  this  roughly  himself,  but  he 
believed  his  fine  adjustment  was  at  the  rate  of  60  turns  to  the  inch. 

Mr.  Hailes  said  that  Smith  and  Beck  always  graduated  the  milled  head 
of  their  fine  adjustment  for  the  very  purpose  of  measuring  depth,  and  had 
supplied  directions  in  their  book  to  instruct  the  purchasers  how  to  use  it. 

The  Chairman  said  that  Powell  and  Lealand  also  always  graduated  the 
heads  of  their  fine  adjustments  for  the  purpose  of  measuring  depth. 

Mr.  Karop  said  there  were  many  other  things  made  for  the  purpose  of 
measuring  thickness,  and  although  no  doubt  this  gauge  might  be  very  useful 
for  some  things,  he  thought  thin  glass  would  be  very  apt  to  get  broken. 
Zeiss  made  an  instrument  especially  for  the  purpose  of  measuring  thin 
cover  glasses.  Then  there  was  the  old  lever  of  contact;  and  some  time  ago 
a  little  thing  was  shown  there  by  Mr.  Hensoldt  for  a  similar  purpose.  The 
gauge  exhibited  was  no  doubt  more  useful  to  the  engineer. 

Mr.  Hailes  said  that  the  gauge  shown  by  Mr.  Hensoldt  was  the  ordinary 
gauge  used  for  measuring  pianoforte  wire. 

The  Chairman  said  that  some  years  ago  he  showed  what  he  called  a  caliper 
eyepiece,  which  was  a  modification  of  the  indicator  by  Qnekett,  but  each 
finger-point  was  curved  and  was  moved  by  a  tangent  screw.  All  that  was 
needed,  therefore,  was  to  take  up  the  cover  glass  with  the  stage  forceps, 
and  to  fit  its  edge  into  this  optical  gauge  under  the  microscope. 

He  also  wished  to  draw  attention  to  a  matter  which  had  been  under 
consideration  by  the  Committee,  and  which  they  wished  to  bring  before  tho 
members  of  the  Club.  Members  were  no  doubt  aware  that  it  had  often 
happened  lately,  when  the  date  of  a  meeting  came  round  they  were  without 
a  paper,  and  to  meet  the  inconvenience  of  this  state  of  things  the  Committee 
proposed,  if  possible,  either  by  notice  or  agreement,  to  arrange  for  some 


205 

given  sabjeot  to  be  brought  forward  for  discussion,  so  that  members  might 
be  able  to  come  prepared  to  discuss  it.  He  thought  there  was  great  value 
in  discnssions  of  this  kind,  and  could  say  for  himself  that  he  never  went 
home  from  one  without  feeling  that  he  had  learnt  something.  And  if  notice 
were  given  beforehand,  gentlemen  wonld  be  able  to  turn  their  thoughts  to 
the  subject,  and  would  come  better  prepared  to  join  in  the  proceedings.  He 
asked  the  members  present  to  take  the  matter  into  their  consideration,  and 
if  it  met  with  approval  the  Committee  would  take  some  steps  to  put  it  into 
shape.  It  was  not  right,  in  his  opinion,  that  any  member  of  the  Club  who 
had  special  knowledge  which  might  be  of  use  to  his  fellow-members,  should 
keep  that  knowledge  to  himself. 

The  Secretary  said  that  whenever  he  received  notice  of  any  communica- 
tion in  time,  he  always  advertised  it  in  a  number  of  papers.  It  was  some- 
times  complained  that  no  notices  were  to  be  seen,  but  he  wished  to  point  out 
that  unless  the  notice  of  the  subjects  reached  him  sufficiently  early  it  was 
of  course  impossible  to  get  them  inserted  in  time  for  those  papers  which 
only  appeared  at  weekly  intervals. 

Announcements  of  meetings  and  excursions  for  the  month  wei'e  then 
made,  particular  attention  being  called  to  the  Annual  Meeting  of  July  24th, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione,  the  following 
objects  being  exhibited  : — 

Hydrobia  ulva,  with  embryos  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Skin  of  Star-fish,   Uraster  rubens,    showing  ) 

t  vc  i        ,  I      Mr.  Chas.  G.  Dunninsr. 

madreponform  tubercle         ...         ...  •>  »*— uig. 

Operculum  of  egg  of  plant  bug  from  Chili       ...     Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Crystals  of  Santonin      ...  ...     Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

Planaria    ...         ...         ...         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Diatoms,  Coscinodiscus  excavatus         ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Upton. 

T.  S.  Aerial  root  of  Dendrobium  ...  ...     Mr.  J.  Willson. 

Attendance — Members,  52  ;  Visitors,  7. 


July  10th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Section  of  Thistle,  triple  stained Mr.  F.  TV.  Andrew. 

Chironomus  varieganus       ...  ...  ...         ...     Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Stratiomyd  larva     ...         ...         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  A.  Hammond. 

Pterothecu  aculeifera  ...  ...         ...  ...     Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Attendance — Members,  29  ;  Visitors,  3. 


206 


July  24th,   1885. — Annual  Meeting. 

Dr.   W.   B.   Carpenter,    C.B.,  F.R.S.,    &c,  &c,  President,  in 

the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club :— Mr.  A.  G.  Sadgrove,  Mr.  J.  A.  D.  Parker,  and  Mr.  J.  L.  M. 
Porter. 

The  following  additions  to  the  Library  were  announced  : — 

"  The  Proceedings  of  the  Geological  Association  "      ...     In  Exchange. 


1  The  Proceedings  of  the  Koyal  Society"  ,,  „ 


»> 


"  The  Journal  of  Microscopy  and  Natural  Science  "  » 

(Postal  Microscopical  Journal)  ) 

"  The  American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal"         ...      ,,  ,, 

'  American  Naturalist "     ...  ...         ...         ...         ...      „  ,, 

"  Bulletin  de  la  Societe  Beige  de  Microscopie"...         ...      „  „ 

"  Geological  and  Natural  History  of  Canada  (Report )      p  ±  a 

of  Progress  1882-3-4"  1 

"  Van  Heurck's  Diatomacie  de  Belgique"  ...         ...     Purchased. 

A  short  communication  from  Mr.  Kitton  "  On  the  Mysterious  Appear- 
ance of  a  Diatom,"  was  read  by  Mr.  Hailes. 

The  President  said  as  there  were  no  remarks  made  on  the  paper  he  would 
propose  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Kitton,  with  the  expression  of  a  hope  that 
he  would  follow  up  these  observations,  because  the  point  that  he  had  raised 
was  a  very  interesting  one  :  whether  there  are  microbes  so  minute  as  to  pass 
through  a  filtering  paper  that  stops  particles  of  emery  so  small  as  the 
50,000th  of  an  inch.  He  might  mention  that,  when  he  was  engaged  in  sound- 
ing, bringing  up  specimens  of  water  from  the  bottom  of  the  Mediterranean, 
on  which  a  very  fine  mud  is  constantly  being  deposited,  the  particles  were  so 
fine  as  to  be  quite  unrecognisable  in  the  ordinary  water  of  the  Mediterranean. 
When  this  settled  down  after  being  diffused  by  winds  and  currents,  the  water 
brought  up  from  the  bottom  wps  quite  white,  and  he  found  that  the  best 
ordinary  filtering  paper  was  quite  incapable  of  stopping  these  particles — 
they  passed  through  it.  He  had  a  particular  reason  for  wishing  to  clear  the 
water,  and  it  was  necessary  to  pass  it  through  the  same  filter  several  times, 
so  that  the  pores  of  the  paper  becoming  clogged  by  that  very  fine  sediment, 
the  water  came  out  pretty  clear.  The  very  best  filtering  paper  did  allow 
very  fine  particles  to  pass  through,  as  every  chemist  knows,  and  it  was  to  be 
hoped  that  Mr.  Kitton  would  endeavour  to  ascertain  by  repeated  experiments 
whether  the  appearance  of  these  diatoms  was  due  to  the  passage  of  micro- 
spores, which  we  did  not  know  as  a  general  product  of  diatoms,  through 
the  fine  substance  of  the  filter. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c.  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made 
and  the  ordinary  meeting  terminated. 

The  meeting  was  then  made  special  in  order  to  proceed  with  the  business 


207 

of  the  Annual  General  Meeting,  Mr.  Mainland  and  Mr  Buffham  being 
nominated  by  the  President  as  scrutineers  of  the  ballot. 

The  Secretary  read  the  20th  Annual  Eeport,  and  the  Treasurer  his 
statement  of  accounts. 

Mr.  Charters  White  proposed  that  the  reports  just  read  be  adopted.  This 
was  seconded  by  Mr.  Waller,  and  carried  unanimously. 

The  President  said  while  the  scrutiny  of  the  ballot  was  going  on,  he 
would  wish  to  express  his  very  great  regret  at  his  unavoidable  failure  to 
perform  the  duties  of  a  President  on  several  occasions.  When  it  was  first 
proposed  to  him  to  undertake  this  duty,  he  rather  demurred,  on  the  ground 
of  the  uncertainty  of  his  health  for  the  last  two  or  three  years.  He  was, 
however,  assured  that  the  Club  would  be  very  glad  to  have  him  among 
them  when  he  was  able  to  come,  and  at  the  same  time  would  not  grumble 
if  he  felt  that  his  own  health  was  a  primary  consideration  with  him,  and  he 
abstained  from  coming  when  he  thought  it  might  be  a  risk  to  do  so.  They 
might  remember  that  on  the  very  first  evening  he  appeared  among  them  he 
was  suffering  from  a  very  severe  cold,  but  that  was  nothing  more  than  a  cold 
and  hoarseness,  and  he  took  upon  himself  the  risk,  but  for  some  three  months 
past  nearly,  he  had  unfortunately  been  the  subject  of  a  very  depressing 
complaint,  beginning  with  neuralgia  of  the  head,  which  left  behind  it  a  very 
considerable  depression  of  nervous  power,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  pass  a 
good  deal  of  every  day  on  the  sofa,  and  to  take  to  a  course  of  novel  reading 
instead  of  anything  more  instructive.  He  found  that  any  continuous  sus- 
tained attention,  either  in  writing  or  reading,  was  a  very  severe  trial  to  him, 
and  that  any  little  over-exertion  was  sure  to  be  followed  by  a  severe 
depression.  Mr.  Karop  was  kind  enough  to  come  and  talk  over  the  business 
of  the  Society  with  him  a  few  evenings  before.  He  had  seen  one  or  two 
other  friends  during  the  day,  and  went  to  bed  after  Mr.  Karop's  kind  visit 
very  tired,  and  it  was  against  the  wishes  of  the  home-rulers  that  he  had  come 
down  that  night,  but  he  did  feel  that  it  was  due  to  the  Club  to  make  a 
little  effort,  even  though  he  might  be  a  little  more  depressed  the  following 
day  in  consequence.  He  thanked  them  for  their  kind  reception  of  him  when 
he  had  been  present,  and  their  indulgence  when  he  had  been  necessarily 
absent.  He  hoped,  in  fact  he  felt  sure,  that  the  business  of  the  Club  had 
not  suffered  by  his  absence,  for  every  member  of  the  Committee,  especially 
the  Vice-Presidents  and  officers,  knew  the  business  a  great  deal  better 
than  he  did,  and  he  had  been  in  their  hands  when  he  had  been  present. 
The  Club  had  such  an  efficient  staff  that  he  felt  sure  the  absence 
of  the  President  could  not  be  in  any  way  seriously  felt,  and  that  he  had 
been  rather  ornamental  than  useful  when  he  had  been  present.  He  would  just 
say,  with  regard  to  the  contributions  of  objects  for  the  cabinets,  he  had 
hoped  to  have  been  able  to  prepare  a  set  of  the  typical  forms  of  Orbitolites, 
with  sections  and  preparations  of  the  animal,  but  had  felt  utterly  unable  to 
take  up  the  microscope  for  use  during  the  last  three  months,  and  therefore 
must  defer  the  final  arrangements  of  them  until  after  the  vacation,  when  he 
hoped  to  be  more  set  up  and  prepared  for  that  little  effort.  He  would  have 
a  few  words  to  say  presently  in  the  way  of  a  short  address.      This  much 


208 

was  merely  personal,  to  explain  the  reasons  for  his  shortcoming,  and  to 
thank  the  members  most  cordially  for  their  kind  indulgence. 

With  regard  to  the  Treasurer's  report,  it  would  be  observed  that  the  balance 
at  the  end  of  the  year  (£77  7s.  lOd.)  was  a  little  less  than  the  balance 
at  the  beginning  (£100  18s.  10d.),  but  that  was  partly  due  to  loss 
incurred  by  the  failure  of  Mr.  D.  Bogue,  and  partly  to  the  increased  amount 
spent  on  printing  the  Journal;  but  as  the  Journal  was  so  well  filled  with 
valuable  information,  he  was  quite  sure  that  they  would  not  regret  that  it  had 
been  so  expended.  On  the  other  hand,  there  was  an  increase  in  the  number 
of  members.  The  losses  had  been  very  much  more  than  sustained  by  the 
junction  of  new  members,  and  therefore  he  thought  they  might  say  that  the 
finances  of  the  Society  were  in  a  very  sound  and  satisfactory  condition. 

The  President  then  announced  that  the  following  gentlemen  had  been 
elected  as  officers  and  members  of  Committee  for  the  ensuing  year  : — 

PRESIDENT— Mr.  A.  D.  Michael,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S. 
Vice-Presidents— Dr.  \V.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  &c.  ;    Dr.  M. 

C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  &c. ;  Dr.  John  Matthews,  F.K.M.S.  ; 

Prof.  Chas.  Stewart,  M.R.C.S.,  F.L.S. 
Hon.  Treasurer— Mr.  F.  W.  Gay,  F.R.M.S. 
Hon.  Secretary— Mr.  G.  C.  Karop,  M.R.C.S.,  &c. 
Hon.  Secretary  for  Foreign  Correspondence  and  Editor  of 

Journal— Mr.  Henry  F.  Hailes. 
Hon.  Reporter— Mr.  R.  T.  Lewis,  F.R.M.S. 
Hon.  Librarian — Mr.  Alpheus  Smith. 
Hon.  Curator — Mr.  Chas.  Emery. 
Four  Members  to  Fill  Vacancies  on  the  Committee— Mr.  F.  W. 

Hembry,  F.R.M.S.  ;    Mr.  W.  W.  Reeves,  F.R.M.S.  ;    Mr.  E. 

M.  Nelson  ;  Mr.  J.  W.  Groves,  F.R.M.S. 

The  President  then  delivered  his  annual  address. 

On  the  close  of  the  address  the  President  left  the  room,  and  the  chair  was 
occupied  by  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke,  who  said  that  when  he  was  not  expected, 
perhaps,  to  have  been  called  upon  to  occupy  the  position  he  did,  a  resolution 
was  put  into  his  hand  which  he  thought  he  could  not  do  better  than  move 
from  the  chair.  He  was  sure  he  should  have  the  cordial  support  of  the 
Club  in  this  resolution  ;  it  was  in  effect  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  President 
who  had  just  left  the  room,  both  for  his  services  during  the  past  year  and  for 
his  remarks  that  evening.  He  did  not  know  that  he  could  do  better  than 
propose  it  at  once.  There  were  two  or  three  observations  which  he  had 
intended  to  have  made,  — hoping  that  the  President  would  have  been  with 
them  a  few  minutes  longer, — and  to  have  noticed  some  of  the  views  he  (the 
President)  particularised.  One  as  to  whether  bacteria  and  bacilli  were 
altered  in  culture  as  being  an  important  subject  for  investigation.  All 
those  who  had  spent  thirty  or  forty  years  in  biological  study  would  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  there  was  a  far  greater  variation  in  biological  objects 
than  was  allowed  to  take  place  by  young  beginners,  who  are  too  apt  to 
imagine  that  every  variation  must  constitute  a  new  species.  All  artificial 
cultivation  should,  he  thought,  always  be   watched   very  carefully,  as  it 


209 

tended  to  develop  variation,  and  results  are  likely  to  follow  different  to  the 
results  that  are  produced  in  a  natural  manner,  and,  therefore,  we  could  not 
argue  safely  back  again  that  such  results  were  results  actually  produced  in 
nature.  A  reference  was  made  earlier  still  by  Dr.  Carpenter  to  the  illustra- 
tions that  he  had  produced  for  some  of  his  own  books,  and  those  plates,  for 
which  he  made  drawings  some  forty  years  ago,  he  said  were  accurate  still, 
and  were  now  of  value,  but  that  the  inferences  that  he  drew  from  those 
plates  were  all  displaced  and  altered.  He  (Dr.  Cooke)  had  constantly  urged 
upon  young  beginners,  and  old  ones  too,  to  draw,  draw,  draw  !  To  make 
plates,  engravings,  drawings.  Never  mind  if  they  did  not  say  a  word  about 
them.  Words  all  change,  but  let  us  have  faithful  representations  of  objects. 
During  his  later  years  he  had  applied  himself  to  the  production  of  plates 
rather  than  to  the  writing  of  books  about  them.  He  urged  his  hearers  not 
to  mind  whether  they  gave  names  to  their  objects,  but  to  draw  them  faith- 
fully, accurately,  and  truly,  and  they  would  last  all  time,  whilst  their 
descriptions  were  old,  antiquated,  and  effete  in  10  or  20  years.  With  these 
observations,  he  begged  to  propose  from  the  chair  a  vote  of  thanks  for  the 
President's  services  and  for  the  address  he  had  given  that  evening. 

This  was  carried  unanimously. 

Mr.  Mclntire  said  he  had  been  requested  to  propose  a  vote  of  thanks 
to  the  Committee  and  Officers  of  the  Club.  He  knew  the  services  of 
the  officers  of  the  Club  in  past  years — how  efficiently  they  had  been 
rendered  ;  and  there  was  one  point  which  had  always  distinguished  them, 
but  particularly  this  year,  and  that  was  their  unselfishness.  The  ability  goes 
without  saying,  but  the  unselfishness  had  been  particularly  marked.  He 
begged  to  propose  a  vote  of  thanks  to  them  for  their  services.  This  was 
seconded  by  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew,  put  from  the  chair,  and  unanimously 
carried. 

Mr.  Buffham  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  Council  of  University 
College.  This  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Charters  White,  and  carried  unani- 
mously. 

Mr.  Nevins  then  proposed  a  vote  of  thanks  to  the  auditors  and  scrutineers. 
This  was  seconded  by  Mr.  Kousselet,  and  unanimously  carried  ;  and  the 
proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  conversazione. 

Attendance — Members,  44 ;  Visitors,  7. 


210 


EEPORT    OF    THE    COMMITTEE. 

July  24th,  1885. 

Your  Committee  have  the  satisfaction  to  present  a  favourable 
Report  on  this,  the  twentieth  anniversary  of  the  Club. 

The  quality  of  its  communications,  the  interest  of  the  meetings, 
and  the  efficiency  and  utility  of  the  Club  generally,  have  been  fully 
maintained  during  the  past  year. 

The  total  number  of  members  is  quite  up  to  the  average;  36  have 
been  elected,  16  have  resigned.  Our  losses  by  death  are  :  Mr.  W. 
Ladd,  F.R.M.S.,  Rev.  W.  Read,  M.A.,  Mr.  0.  S.  Bishop,  Mr.  T. 
Spencer,  and  Dr.  G.  D.  Brown. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  the  papers  read  at  the  meetings,  and 
printed  in  the  Journal  :  — 

"  On  a  Hydrostatic  Fine-adjustment,"  by  Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

"  On  the  Relations  and  Evolution  of  the  various  types  of  the 
Genus  Orbitolites,"  by  the  President. 

lt  On  the  suppposed  Sexual  Threads  in  the  Zygnemacea3,"  by 
Mr.  F.  Bates. 

"  On  a  Hydroid  Polyp  found  in  the  tanks  of  the  Royal  Botanical 
Society's  Gardens,"  by  Mr.  F.  A.  Parsons. 

"  On  the  Conjugation  of  Rhabdonema  Arcuatum,"  Kiitz ;  by  Mr. 
T.  H.  Buffham. 

"  On  some  Remarkable  Moulds,"  by  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke. 

"  On  a  New  Flagellate  Infusorian,"  by  Rev.  G.  J.  Burch. 

"  On  the  Economy  of  the  Hive-Bee,"  by  Mr.  F.  Cheshire. 

"  On  a  new  Measuring  Gauge,"  by  Mr.  R.  T.  Lewis. 

il  On  some  Fossil  Marine  Diatoms,"  by  Prof.  Cleve  (Upsala.) 

Short  descriptions  of  new  instruments,  appliances,  and  methods 
of  procedure,  will  be  found  in  the  Proceedings. 

Besides  these,  five  demonstrations  on  microscopical  subjects,  or 
in  which  the  microscope  is  a  necessary  means  of  research,  were 
given  in  the  class-room   during  the  winter  months.      Although  the 


2L1 

term  u  demonstration,"  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  word,  cannot, 
perhaps,  be  applied  to  all  the  series,  they  were  certainly  appreciated 
by  the  large  number  of  members  attending  them,  and  introduced 
matters  of  great  interest  which  could  not  very  well  be  brought  before 
the  ordinary  meetings.     They  were  as  follows  : — 

1884. 
Dec.  12.     u  On  Bacteria  and  the  methods  of  staining  them,"  E. 

Thurston,  L.R.C.P. 
1885. 
Jan.    9.     "  On  the  Structure  of  the  Eyes  in  Arthropoda,"  B.  T. 

Lowne,  F.R.C.S. 
Feb.  13.    "  On  Collecting  and  Mounting  Fresh  Water  Algse,"  Dr. 

M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A. 
Mar.  13.     "  On  Lung  Parasites,"  Dr.  T.  S.  Cobbold,  F.R.S. 
Apr.  10.     "On  the   Skeleton  of  the  Echinodermata,"  Dr.  W.  B. 

Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S. 

Summarised  reports  are  given  in  the  Journals,  and  the  Com- 
mittee take  this  opportunity  of  expressing  their  thanks  to  those 
gentlemen  who  communicated  the  means  or  result  of  their  investi- 
gations on  these  occasions.  They  feel  that  thanks  are  particularly 
due  to  Dr.  Carpenter,  who  spared  neither  time  nor  trouble  in  render- 
ing his  subject  clear  and  interesting  to  his  audience. 

The  remainder  of  Mr.  Crisp's  donation  has,  in  accordance  with 
his  desire,  been  expended  in  purchasing  indispensable  works  of 
reference  for  the  Library,  a  list  of  which  appears  below. 

The  collection  of  works  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Club  already 
exceeds  the  space  at  the  disposal  of  the  Librarian,  and  as  no  more 
room  can  be  accorded  by  the  Council  of  University  College,  your 
Committee  will  shortly  have  to  consider  the  propriety  of  making 
other  arrangements. 

Annexed  is  a  list  of  the  books  presented  or  purchased  for  ad- 
dition to  the  Library  since  the  publication  of  the  last  report :  — 

Presented  by 

"  Worthington  Smith's  Diseases  of  Field  and )  pr_  j^  q.  Cooke- 
Garden  Crops'' ) 

"  Dr.  Braithwaite's  British  Moss  Flora."     Part  8.  The  Author. 

"  Transactions  of  the  Linnean  Society  " Mr.  F.  Crisp. 

"  Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society  "...  The  Society. 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society "       „  „ 

"  Hardwicke's  Science  Gossip  " The  Publishers. 

Joden.  Q.  M.  C.j  Series  II.,  No.  13.  n 


} 


By  Subscription 

Ray  Society. 
In  Exchange. 


ji 


» 


Purchased. 


1 


212 

*'  Cameron's       Phytophagous     Hynienoptera " 
Vol.2 

"American  Naturalist"     

"  American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal  " 

"  Journal  of  the  Postal  Microscopical  Society  " 

"  Challenger  Reports."     Vols.  9-11. 

"  Wolle's  Desmids  of  the  United  States  " 

"  Dippel  on  th    Microscope"         

'*  Quarterly  Journal  of  Microscopical  Science" 

''  Annals  and  Magazine  of  Natural  History  " 

"  Dr.  Cooke's  British  Fresh  Water  Algae."  Com- 
pletion    ... 

"Grevillea" 

Transactions  and  Proceedings  of  various  Socie-) 
ties  and  sundry  Pamphlets     ...  ...  ) 

"  Dalzell's  Powers  of  the  Creator."     3  Vols. 

"  Dalzell's   Rare   and   Remarkable  Animals 
of  Scotland."     2  Vols 

"  Ehrenberg's  Infusoria  "  

"  Ehrenberg's  Micro-Geology  " 

"Berkeley's  Cryptogamic  Botany" 

"  Pascoe's  Zoological  Classification  "    ... 

"  Hine's  Catalogue  of  Fossil  Sponges"... 

"  Hassell's  Food  and  its  Adulterations" 

"  Sternberg's  Photo-Micrographs  " 

"  Magnin  and  Sternberg's  Bacteria" 

"  Agassiz  Bibliotheca  Zoologica."     4  Vols. 

The  following  slides  have  been  presented  to  the  Cabinet  :- 


M 

»! 
5> 

>> 

»» 


■N 


\.  Mr.  Crisp's  donation. 


tfr 

.  F.  Oxley 

»> 

G.  Sturt 

)» 

A.  D.  Michael 

»» 

A.  C.  Tipple 

>j 

E.  M.  Nelson 

it 

F.  Enock 

» 

H.  Morland 

»> 

A.  Pennington 

»» 

H.  E.  Freeman 

•  •• 

•  *  » 

24 

•  ■  • 

•  *  • 

70 

•  •  • 

•  »  • 

43 

•  •  • 

•  •  t 

6 

*  •  • 

•  •  • 

300 

•  •  • 

•  *■ 

7 

•  •  • 

•  •• 

1 

t  •  * 

•  •  • 

1 

•  •  • 

•  •  • 

6 

The  valuable  series  of  Oribatidce  presented  by  Mr.  Michael,  and 
<the  Van  Heurck  Diatoms  by  Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson,  are  worthy  of 
special  notice. 

'The  Excursions  during  the  past  season  were  fairly  successful, 
and  Avell  attended  ;  a  large  number  of  interesting  objects  are  re- 
corded, described,  and  in  some  cases  figured  in  the  Excursions' 
Portfolio  ;  many  have  been  exhibited  at  the  meetings,  and  one  has 


213 

formed  the  subject  of  a  paper,  an  example  which  might  be  more 
largely  followed. 

The  Annual  Dinner  of  the  Club  was  held  at  the  Holborn  Res- 
taurant, on  Dec.  12th.  Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  in  the 
chair,  and  was  attended  by  about  100  members  and  guests.  The 
success  of  these  entertainments  is  entirely  due  to  the  efforts  of  the 
Sub-Committee,  officially  appointed  two  years  ago,  and  their  services 
are  certainly  appreciated  by  all  who  benefit  by  them.  The  musical 
arrangements  were,  as  usual,  most  admirably  conducted  by  Messrs. 
Cole  and  Willson. 

The  Excursionists'  Annual  Dinner  was  held  at  Leatherhead,  on 
June  19th,  instead  of  June  27th,  as  announced.  On  this  account 
probably,  the  number  was  rather  smaller  than  usual,  but  the  dinner 
itself,  under  the  presidency  of  Prof.  Charles  Stewart,  left  nothing 
to  be  desired,  and  the  vocal  music  contributed  by  the  Messrs. 
Rogers  and  friends  added  considerably  to  the  pleasure  of  the 
gathering. 

The  four  numbers  of  the  Journal  issued  since  the  last  report  are 
sufficient  evidence  of  the  care  and  ability  bestowed  upon  them  by 
our  esteemed  editor,  Mr.  Hailes.  The  necessary  expense  incurred 
in  producing  them  forms  a  large  item  in  our  accounts,  and  it  is 
trusted  that  members  will  continue  to  supply  material  which  shall 
justify  the  outlay  and  the  reputation  of  the  Club.  For  the  future 
the  Journal  will  be  published  by  Messrs.  Williams  and  Norgate,  of 
Henrietta  Street,  Covent  Garden,  W.C. 

The  great  privilege  of  holding  our  meetings  at  University  Col- 
lege has  again  been  renewed  by  the  Council,  and  the  thanks  of  the 
Club  are  due  to  them  for  this  and  other  favours. 

Your  Committee  have  also  to  thank  the  Officers  of  the  Club  for 
their  various  services,  and  in  conclusion  they  confidently  look  for- 
ward to  a  continuance  of  the  career  of  prosperity  and  usefulness 
which  has  been  so  characteristic  of  the  Quekett  Microscopical 
Club  during  its  twenty  years'  existence. 


m 
P3 


rnowooocioo 
i— i  i—" 

^>5    O    N    lO    h    o    N    b 
<-H    (M  CM    CO  i> 


O 


co 
o 
oo 


• 

© 
00 

■ 

• 

• 

* 

• 

• 

fl 

. 

* 

© 

a 

. 

• 

• 

• 

© 

* 

t 

bo 

* 

t 

- 

! 

• 

• 

" 

JX> 

m 

'o 
O 

H 

to 

i 

■ 

d 

* 

^ 

• 

• 

r 

t3 

© 

bo 

© 

03 

bo 

>» 

o 

.5 

d 

o 

a 

• 

-1-3 

. 

: 

. 

o 

o 

"5 
o3 

•  rH 

c3 

m 

0 

o3 

rd 
bo 

•  »-« 

V 

o 

© 

a 
© 

© 

o 

EH 

Ph 

O 

: 

OS 

PI 
o 

•rH 
-r3 

03 

S_i 

• 

Ph 

© 

bo 

bo 
d 

d 
T3 

X 

© 

as 

73 

-t-3 

02 

© 

o 

o 

o3 

-+3 
02 

•rH 
-1-3 
S3 

•    — 

d 
© 

-1-3 

-4-3 

rd 

o 

rH 

d 

O 

CI 
o3 

1— < 

[ 

4        o 

!h 

-+3 

© 

d 

© 

c3 

O       Ph 

Ph 

<J 

Ph 

Ph 

t-s 

ft 

PP 

EH 

t>> 

to 

PQ 

ns 


O    O    (M 


.   00  O    CO 

03    i-H  i— I 

O  H     Tji 

CfJ  o  o 

r-H  <N 


02 
PJ 

.    .  .2 

&, 

t-i 
o 
ta 

:  -2 
■    •  p 

00  rtf  io 

CO  0  rt 

•H  >  .S 

„  .5  rj-j 

i-H      ^      d 

Tj         &■ 

•"3       O       9 

»2  -E3  ^ 


o 

I-H 

to 
o 

CO 


d 

e3 

rd 


P 


3    d 

§    ° 

•2  'f  ^ 

<u  -p   d 

o      ^      © 

i s  s 

o3    d  ^ 
pq  oq  (-4 

o 

&+ 


r*» 

^3 

© 

• 

H 

09 

© 

h 

rd 

O 

■» 

•rH 

o 

^ 

© 

d 

© 

►n 

— 

00 

d 

pf 

•!■* 
-u 

H 

Ph   ,- 
O   & 

rH 

03 

U 

© 

1 

a  o 

o 

• 

l> 

sw 

© 

5 

r*    W 

* 

o 

T3 

«* 

d 

I-H 

c3 

crt 

© 

02 
© 

13 

•  rH 

-1-3 

.15 

•r-l 

>T3 

d 

d 

d 

© 

d 

ft 

<J 

-»j 

d 

T3 

© 

d 

o 

e3 

u 

© 

© 

s 

o 

© 

o 

© 

d 

?-» 

h- 1 

rd 

H 

CM 

o 

► 

H-3 

© 

d 
© 

d 

© 

•  i-H 

-u 

nd 

03 

© 

on 

-1-3 

02 

© 

© 

> 

> 

d 

o 

•rH 

rQ 

-u 

c3 

d 

a 

© 

rd 
-+3 

«i 

© 

d 

1 

© 

bo 

• 

-r3 

d 

O 

•  r-« 

© 

► 

u 

o3 

u 

rd 

o 

o 

^d 

© 

© 

d 

rQ 

bo 

o 

-r3 

02 

S-, 

© 

© 

a 

d 

d 

o3 
02 

© 

rd 

Hfl 

© 

rd 
-t-3 

•k 

>» 

© 

«H 

^ 

r-l 
© 

00 

00 


d 


215 


PRESIDENT'S  INAUGURAL  ADDRESS. 

Delivered  September  25th,  1885. 

By    A.  D.    Michael,    F.L.S.,    F.R.M.S. 

It  is,  I  believe,  the  time-honoured  custom  in  this  Club  for  the 
President  to  deliver  some  kind  of  introductory  address  on  the 
occasion  of  his  taking  the  chair  for  the  first  time  ;  and,  even  were 
it  not  a  custom,  his  own  inclinations  would  naturally  prompt  him  to 
make  some  reference  to  the  new  circumstances  in  which  he  found 
himself  placed.  It  is  with  feelings  of  a  very  pleasant  kind  that  I 
enter  on  the  duties  of  the  office  to  which  you  have  called  me, 
because  it  is  an  assurance  of  the  friendship  and  goodwill  which  my 
fellow-members  of  the  Club  have  always  shown  towards  me,  and 
also,  in  a  far  higher  degree,  because  I  regard  it  as  indicating  that, 
in  your  judgment,  I  am  more  likely  to  be  of  service  to  the  Club,  as 
its  President,  than  any  other  gentleman  who  is  for  the  moment 
available  ;  had  this  not  been  your  opinion  you  would  not  have 
allowed  feelings  of  friendship  to  have  led  you  to  select  me.  It  is 
naturally  a  source  of  great  gratification  to  me  that  I  should  have 
your  friendship  and  your  favourable  opinion,  still  I  am  well  aware 
that  there  are  many  members  in  the  Club  of  older  standing  and 
greater  attainments  than  myself;  nevertheless,  I  feel  assured  that 
you  have   done  your  duty,  and  it  now  remains  for  me  to  do  mine. 

It  is,  I  think,  needless  for  me  to  say  that  I  will,  as  President,  do 
my  best  for  the  Society,  because  I  trust  you  will  believe,  without 
any  assurance  from  me,  that  I  shall  in  the  future,  as  I  did  in  the 
past,  endeavour  to  do  the  best  I  can  for  the  interests  of  the 
Society,  whatever  position  I  may  occupy  in  it.  I  confess  to  feeling 
some  diffidence  in  taking  the  chair  in  succession  to  such  a  President 
as  Dr.  Carpenter,  who,  during  his  long  and  laborious  life,  had 
acquired  a  very  wide  range  of  experience,  and  had  attained  to  an 
extent  and  variety  of  knowledge  such  as  I  cannot  myself  hope  to 
emulate.  It  is  only  to  few  that  opportunities  are  given  of  acquir- 
ing so  wide  a  range  of  information,  and  fewer  still  that  possess  the 
ability  to  retain  in  their  minds  what  has  thus  been  gathered,  and 
to  speak  promptly  and  efficiently  upon  almost  any  biological  subject 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  14.  s 


216 


PRESIDENT  S    INAUGURAL    ADDRESS. 

which  may  come  before  them.  In  choosing  me  to  follow  such  a 
President  yon  must  be  aware  that  yon  have  selected  one  who  is,  to 
a  great  extent,  a  specialist,  and  whose  general  biological  knowledge 
is  far  less  than  that  of  many  in  this  room  ;  it  may  be,  however, 
that  this  will  not  prove  to  be  wholly  a  disadvantage,  since  it  can 
scarcely  be  a  healthy  thing  for  a  society  to  rely  too  much  upon  its 
President,  and  to  allow  his  ready  ability  to  take  the  place  of 
personal  efforts  amongst  the  members.  My  duty  will  be  rather  to 
endeavour  to  encourage  and  to  develop  what  others  may  be  ready 
to  do,  than  to  occupy  the  Society's  time  myself,  to  see  that  every 
man  who  can  be  induced  to  do  anything  has  an  opportunity  of 
doing  it,  and  that  he  is  not  discouraged  from  the  effort ;  and  to 
hold  an  even  course  if  differences  should  ever  appear.  These  con- 
siderations naturally  lead  me  to  think  of  the  future  of  the  Club, 
and  what  I  should  wish  it  to  be.  It  mav,  and  no  doubt  will  be 
said,  that  this  is  not  a  dry  scientific  Society,  but  a  Club  in  which 
the  social  element  largely  exists.  I  am  quite  aware  that  such  is 
the  case,  and  that  it  is  under  the  influence  of  this  social  element 
that  an  amount  of  success  has  been  attained  such  as  does  not 
always  fall  to  the  lot  of  a  purely  scientific  Society ;  but  I  believe 
that  its  social  success  has  depended  upon  its  scientific  element, 
and  that  it  is  a  collection  of  men  of  similar  tastes,  views,  and 
objects  in  the  application  of  a  magnificent  tool  to  a  great  variety  of 
subjects.  I  remember,  not  long  ago,  the  starting  in  London  of 
another  Club,  which  went  by  the  name  of  "  The  Dilettante 
Circle  ;  "  its  members  were  artists  and  musicians,  and  it  commenced 
its  existence  under  very  favourable  circumstances,  its  entertain- 
ments were  most  enjoyable,  but  its  object  was  enjoyment  only,  its 
members  assembled  for  the  mere  pleasure  of  the  evening,  and,  from 
the  first  hour  of  its  existence,  it  was  overshadowed  by  the  wings 
of  the  demon  of  ennui.  Little  by  little  men  grew  tired,  and  little 
by  little  they  drew  off,  until  the  Society  gradually  died  out.  This 
element  of  ennui  would  be  certain  to  pervade  meetings  where 
pleasure  was  the  sole  aim  and  object.  The  dilettante  spirit,  if 
too  much  developed,  is  the  bane  of  a  Club  like  ours  ;  it  is  perhaps 
rather  too  widely  spread,  although  a  little  of  it  is  no  doubt  not 
only  permissible,  but  even  desirable  ;  and,  therefore,  whilst  I  insist 
that  the  microscope  should  not  be  regarded  merely  as  a  means 
of  enjoying  the  beauty  which  it  reveals,  I  am  very  far  from 
agreeing  with  those  who  talk  with  some  little  contempt  of  a  mere 
beauty "  as  a  thing   not  worthy   of  consideration.     My   earliest 


PRESIDENT'S    INAUGURAL    ADDRES8.  217 

recollections  are  of  how,  as  a  child,  I  revelled  in  the  beauty  of  the 
insects  and  the  flowers,  just  as,  later  in  life,  I  have  gloried  in  the 
shifting  beauties  of  the  mists  driving  across  the  mountain-tops,  or 
sat  for  hours  watching  the  sunlight  dancing  on  the  great  water- 
falls of  the  Alps  or  the  Pyrenees  ;  but,  beautiful  as  all  these  things 
may  be,  if  the  enjoyment  of  them  be  not  joined  to  anything  else 
there  will  come  a  time  when  it  will  pall,  and  when  the  mind 
will  lose  its  appreciation  of  what  the  eye  contemplates,  just  as 
we  find  that  artists  often  cease  to  admire  the  beauties  which 
they  cannot  paint.  Thus  also,  great  as  may  be  the  amusement 
obtained  by  the  collector  of  merely  beautiful  objects,  yet  when  he 
devotes  himself  more  seriously  to  the  subject,  and  goes  a  little  more 
closely  into  it,  taking  a  more  special  view,  and  trying  to  tread  in 
the  paths  of  original  investigation,  then  he  will  find  that  his 
pleasure  will  be  both  greater  and  of  a  far  higher  quality  than  before. 
If  it  be  possible,  in  the  position  which  you  have  called  upon  me  to 
occupy,  for  me  to  assist  any  member  of  the  Club  in  mounting  from 
the  pursuit  of  amusement  to  the  more  important  study  of  a  subject, 
from  that  which  gives  pleasure  in  a  small  degree  to  that  which 
affords  it  in  a  higher  sense,  it  will  at  all  times  be  my  desire  to  do 
so  to  the  fullest  extent  of  my  power.  There  are  many  ways  in 
which  those  who  take  an  interest  in  microscopical  subjects  go  to 
work.  It  is  recommended  by  some  that  they  should  go  out 
collecting  generally,  bringing  home  a  great  variety  of  objects,  and 
then  setting  themselves  to  the  task  of  endeavouring  to  identify 
them.  By  so  doing  no  doubt  they  impress  upon  the  mind  general 
ideas  of  the  way  in  which  such  objects  are  divided  into  classes,  and 
form  some  notions  of  their  outward  appearance;  but  it  is  after  all 
laborious  and  rather  ungrateful  work,  occupying  a  great  deal  of 
time  and  attention,  and  if  it  be  repeated  many  times  it  leaves  little 
opportunity  for  other  things,  and  causes  the  collector  often  to 
pass  by  objects  of  greater  interest  and  importance.  I  am  personally 
more  inclined  towards  the  view  that  it  is  better  for  a  man  to  take 
up  something  special  which  he  can  grasp  more  closely ;  and  if  he 
wish  to  get  a  different  class  of  objects  identified,  then  to  obtain 
assistance  in  so  doing.  I  cannot  help  seeing  that  we  have  in  this 
Club  avast  amount  of  manipulative  power,  a  great  number  of  first- 
class  instruments,  and  of  competent  observers  ;  but  I  am  not  quite 
sure  that  we  make  the  best  of  them.  There  are  vast  fields  around 
us  which,  if  not  absolutely  unworked,  are  only  partly  worked,  and 
I  believe  that  most  of  our  members  would  find  far  more  valuable 


218  president's  inaugural  address. 

results  to  arise  from  turning  their  attention  in  these  directions 
than  from  simply  working  in  old  lines.  Amongst  the  many 
subjects  which  are  not  yet  worked  out  as  they  might  be,  I  may 
mention  the  almost  new  study  of  Petrology,which,  although  still  in 
the  hands  of  a  very  few  observers,  is  rapidly  becoming  a  subject  of 
high  interest  and  importance  ;  the  spectroscope  also  offers  a  wide 
and  promising  field  ;  and  the  value  of  the  microscope,  as  applied  to 
commercial  considerations,  is  hardly  yet  recognised.  These  are 
branches  affording  great  promise,  and  there  are  very  few  persons 
who  give  attention  to  them.  It  may  be  said  that  ours  is  not  a 
Club  in  which  such  researches  are  expected,  and  that  its  use  is 
rather  for  the  purpose  of  training  and  raising  up  microscopists, 
and  then  drafting  them  off  to  other  bodies  where  work  of  this 
kind  is  more  exhaustively  carried  out.  There  is  some  truth  in  this, 
and  it  is  to  the  credit  of  the  Club  that  it  can  be  truly  said,  and  that 
we  can  point  to  so  many  in  other  societies  whose  work  in  micro- 
scopy was  commenced  in  the  QuekettClub.  It  is  true  that  there 
is  a  natural  tendency  among  our  older  members  to  become  engrossed 
in  other  and  more  learned  societies,  but  it  is  also  true  that  we  have 
still  amongst  us  a  great  many  earnest  workers,  and  that  the  best 
men  still  find  it  to  be  to  their  pleasure  and  their  interest  to  remain 
amongst  us,  for  it  is  by  steady  progress  that  men  are  able  truly  to 
advance,  whether  they  occupy  the  place  of  simple  students  or  that 
of  teachers  or  investigators.  It  is,  however,  desirable  to  the 
greatest  possible  extent,  that,  in  order  to  counterbalance  the 
inevitable  loss  of  older  members,  those  of  younger  standing  should 
be  encouraged  to  come  forward  and  to  communicate  to  the  meetings 
the  results  of  their  observations.  I  have  noticed  that  there  seems 
to  be  a  great  amount  of  hesitation  on  their  part  in  this  respect,  and 
no  doubt  it  is  an  awkward  thing  to  come  forward  and  to  read  one's 
first  paper.  It  is  said  that  Frenchmen  are  killed  by  ridicule  ;  but 
however  true  that  may  be,  I  believe  that  practically  Englishmen 
are  more  afraid  of  it.  Let  me  urge  our  younger  members  to  put 
such  feelings  on  one  side,  and  to  give  their  fellows  the  benefit  of 
their  experiences  without  fear  of  being  laughed  at.  For  my  own  part 
I  can  only  say  that,  during  my  period  of  office,  my  most  earnest 
desire  will  be  that  I  may  have  the  assistance  of  the  younger 
members  at  the  meetings,  and  if  I  can  induce  them  to  do  some- 
thing more  than  collect  slides,  it  will  not  be  necessary  for  me  again 
to  announce,  as  I  am  forced  to  do  to-night,  that  at  this  meeting  of 
the  Club  there  is  not  any  paper. 


219 


Notes  on  Palmod^ctylon  subramosum,  and  on  a  New  British 

Species  of   Vaucheria. 

By  M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S. 

(Read  October  25th,  1885.) 

Plate  XIV. 

On  page  25  of  my  recent  work  on  British  Fresh  Water  Algas  I 
have  stated  that  "  one  or  other  of  the  many  forms  of  Hydrurus 
penicellatus  has  been  called  Palmodactylon  subramosum,  Nag." 

This  form  has  recently  been  found  in  Britain,  and  a  fragment 
sent  to  me  for  verification  by  Mr  Thomas  Hebden,  of  Hainworth, 
near  Keighley.  It  was  found  during  the  month  of  July,  but  in 
small  quantity,  and  mixed  with  other  species.  The  collector  says  : 
"  I  have  been  repeatedly  to  the  same  place  but  so  far  have  not  been 
able  to  procure  another  specimen." 

This  form  was  described  by  Niigeli  in  his  "  Unicellular  Alga3 " 
(p.  70),  under  the  name  of  Palmodactylon  subramosum,  and  was 
repeated  under  the  same  name  in  Rabenhorst's  "  Flora  Europtea 
Algarum  "  (p.  44),  and  Kirchner  adopts  it  in  his  "  Algen  von 
Schlesien"  (p.  107).  Nevertheless,  we  see  no  reason  to  modify  our 
original  view,  that  it  is  only  one  of  the  many  forms  of  Hydrurus. 
Unfortunately  the  specimens  found  were  so  meagre  as  to  be  insuffi- 
cient to  furnish  any  conclusive  evidence. 

On  page  116  of  the  above  work  I  have  given  a  synopsis  of  the 
known  species  of  Vaucheria  found  in  Europe,  according  to  the 
arrangement  adopted  by  Professor  Nordstedt.  When  that  list  was 
made  eight  species  were  known  to  occur  in  Great  Britain  out  of  a 
total  of  19,  all  belonging  to  the  first  group  of  11  species,  leaving 
group  B,  with  six,  and  two  uncertain  species,  unrepresented. 

Since  then  Professor  Nordstedt  has  spent  some  time  in  this 
country,  rambling  in  many  directions  in  search  of  Fresh  Water 
AlgEe,  and  he  has  succeeded  in  finding  on  the  mud  of  the  Thames, 
at  Kew,  above  the  bridge,  at  low  water,  another  Vaucheria,  his 
own  species  of  Vaucheria  spho?rospora  which  belongs  to  the  B 
group,  section  Piloboloidea?,  numbered  15  in  the  above-named 
synopsis.     This,  therefore,  is  an  interesting  addition  to  our  Flora, 


220    M.  C.  COOKE  ON  PALMODACTYLON  SUBRAMOSUM,  ETC. 

the  accuracy  of  the  determination  being  vouched  for  by  the  learned 
Professor  himself. 

The  following  is  the  description  of  this  species,  which  is  figured 
in  outline  in  "  Botaniska  Notiser  "  for  1878  :  — 

Vaucheria  spluerospora,  Nordst.  Bot.  Not.,  1878,  p.  177,  t.  2. 

Loosely  caBspitose,  antheridea  at  the  apex  of  longer,  or  rarely  of 
the  shorter  branches,  slightly  tumid,  very  often  a  little  incurved, 
acuminate,  furnished  about  the  apex  with  two  (rarely  4)  nearly 
opposite  divergent  conical  processes,  connected  with  the  side  or  the 
base  (at  first  with  the  apex)  of  the  oogonium,  by  means  of  a  short 
cell  destitute  of  chlorophyll.  Oogonium  globose,  or  obovate- 
globose  ;  oospore  globose,  chlorophyllose,  membrane  not  thick,  not 
entirely  filling  the  oogonium. 

Size.  Threads  •026-,06  mm.  diam.  Oogonia  *104-,136  mm. 
diam.     Oospore  •088-,120  mm.  diam. 

On  the  mud  at  low  water  of  the  Thames  at  Kew.  Commonly 
marine. 

PLATE  XIV. 

A. — Figs.  1-6,  antheridia  of  Vaucheria  splicer  ospor  a ;  Fig,  7  oogonia 
with  antheridia  (after  Nordstedt). 

B. — Pahnodactylon  subramosum  (from  photograph  x  60). 


• 


.  Vol.  2.  PI.  XIV 


M.C.C.  del. 


W.  Rhein  sc 


221 


On  an  Unusual  Form  of   Tube   made   by  Melicerta  ringens. 

By  T.  Spencer  Smithson. 
{Read  October  25th  1885.) 

While  trying  the  well-known  experiment  of  supplying  Melicerta 
ringens  with  powdered  carmine  in  order  to  show  the  formation  of 
the  pellets  with  which  it  constructs  its  tube,  I  had  the  good  fortune 
to  be  able  to  watch  the  building  of  the  whole  of  one  tube  by  a 
young  melicerta,  which  showed  considerable  deviation  from  the 
ordinary  type  of  architecture  ;  and  I  venture  to  bring  the  case 
before  the  Quekett  Microscopical  Club  as  it  appears  to  me  to 
possess  several  points  of  interest. 

In  the  first  place  the  young  melicerta  began  by  building  half  a 
course  in  the  usual  way  with  apparently  solid  pellets,  but  instead 
of  continuing  to  do  so,  it  suddenly  commenced  to  heap  up,  in  a  most 
erratic  manner,  pellets  of  the  ordinary  shape,  but  composed  of  trans- 
parent, gelatinous  matter  with  a  few  particles  of  carmine  imbedded 
in  it,  giving  the  tube  a  somewhat  mottled  appearance. 

The  walls  of  the  tube,  owing  to  the  loose  way  in  which  they  were 
made,  were  about  double  the  thickness  of  those  constructed  in  the 
usual  manner. 

Since  my  first  discovery  I  have  found  another  young  melicerta, 
in  the  same  trough  as  the  first,  beginning  to  build  in  the  same 
extraordinary  manner,  and  this  fact  leads  me  to  think  that  want  of 
material  is  the  primary  cause  of  this  curious  mode  of  building.  I 
merely  offer  this  as  a  crude  suggestion,  and  shall  be  very  glad  if  any 
member  of  the  Club  can  give  me  a  better  explanation  of  this,  as  it 
appears  to  me,  interesting  case  of  alteration  of  instinct  by  confine- 
ment. 

I  regret  that  I  have  been  unable  to  send  one  of  the  tubes  for 
examination,  but  this  would  be  impossible  without  great  risk  of 
injuring  the  animals,  both  being  attached  to  the  side  of  a  small 
zoophyte-trough. 


222 


Historic     Microscopy. 

By  E.  M.  Nelson. 

(Read    Nov.    27th}    1885.) 
During  mv  absence  from  town  this  summer  I  came  across  some 


'O 


quaint  old  descriptions  of  microscopes,  which  interested  me  so 
much  that  1  determined  to  make  some  notes  of  them,  in  the  hope 
that  they  might  interest  you  also.  My  object  in  bringing  this 
paper  before  you  is  not  to  enter  any  debatable  ground  as  to 
whether  A  or  B  introduced  a  new  principle  or  improvement  with 
regard  to  the  microscope,  but  merely  to  trace  the  growth  of  human 
intellect  as  expressed  in  the  optical  and  mechanical  parts  of  the 
microscope,  from  the  early  simple  type  to  the  modern  complex  one. 

The  earliest  magnifying  glass  or  simple  microscope  known  is  the 
rock-crvstal  biconvex  lens  in  the  British  Museum.  This  was  found 
at  Nineveh,  and  is  probably  not  less  than  2,500  years  old. 

After  a  lapse  of  22  centuries,  we  come  to  .the  compound  micro- 
scope of  Zacharias  Jansen,  in  1590.  It  consisted  of  two  biconvex 
lenses  in  a  tube.  The  instrument  was  exceedingly  rude,  having  no 
stage,  focussing,  or  illuminating  apparatus. 

In  70  years  we  come  to  a  great  improvement  by  Hooke,  who,  in 
1664,  added  a  field  glass  to  the  eye-piece.  This  is  practically  the 
compound  microscope  which  is  still  in  use,  viz.,  eye-piece,  formed 
of  fin  eye  glass  and  a  field  glass,  and  an  objective.  The  instru- 
ment was  fitted  with  a  very  rough  focussing  apparatus,  and  an 
illuminating  lens  formed  of  a  globe  filled  with  water,  a  method 
still  used  by  watch-makers  and  engravers.  This  microscope  had  no 
stage. 

In  1668  Eustachio  Divini  invented  a  compound  non-aplanatic 
object  glass. 

S.  Campani,  a  contemporary  of  Divini  and  of  Huyghens,  used  an 
eye-piece  which  we  now  call  Hnyghenian,  but  which  the  French 
call  after  Campani.  I  believe,  however,  that  there  is  no  doubt 
about  its  being  the  invention  of  Huyghens. 


E.    M.    NELSON    ON    HISTORIC    MICROSCOPY.  223 

The  compound  microscope  was  now  abandoned  in  favour  of  the 
simple  lens,  it  being  found  that  the  image  from  a  non-aplanatic 
lens  would  not  bear  magnifying,  the  aberrations  produced  by  the 
lens  being  also  magnified. 

Leeuwenhoek,  in  1667,  worked  single  lenses  of  high  power,  and 
put  a  screw  focussing  adjustment  to  the  instrument,  which  caused 
the  object  to  approach  or  recede  from  the  lens. 

Sir  Isaac  Newton  suggested  reflecting  microscopes  in  1679,  but 
there  is  no  acconnt  of  one  having  been  made  at  that  time. 

Stephen  Gray  used  drops  of  water  in  1696  ;  his  apparatus,  like 
that  of  Leeuwenhoek's,  had  a  screw  focussing  arrangement. 

P.  Bonnani,  in  1698,  produced  a  microscope  with  a  coarse  adjust- 
ment and  fine  adjustment,  a  stage,  and  a  condenser.  It  was  very 
rough,  and  the  adjustments  were  hardly  as  fine  as  some  of  the  pre- 
ceding models ;  but  the  principles  are  to  be  found  in  the  micro- 
scopes of  the  present  day. 

J.  Wilson  introduced  a  simple  microscope,  with  a  screw  focus,  in 
1702.  These  were  of  two  forms  ;  one  not  unlike  the  seed  micro- 
scope now  in  use,  and  the  other  something  like  Leeuwenhoek's. 

These  microscopes  were  very  popular,  but  as  they  offer  no  new 
link  in  the  chain  of  development,  we  will  pass  over  them  without 
any  further  description. 

We  now  come  to  the  first  compound  microscope  made  for  sale, 
viz.,  that  by  J.  Marshall,  circa  1735.  The  stand  was  a  wooden 
box,  with  a  drawer  for  apparatus  in  it.  There  was  an  upright 
support  fixed  to  this  by  a  ball  and  socket  joint.  This  support 
carried  the  body  and  the  stage.  The  stage  could  slide  backwards 
and  forwards  in  a  vertical  direction.  There  were  numbered  divisions 
marked  on  the  upright  support,  which  numbers  corresponded  with 
numbers  on  the  object  glasses.  By  this  means  a  coarse  adjustment 
was  effected.  If,  for  example,  an  objective  was  fixed  to  the  body, 
then  the  arm  which  carried  the  body  was  clamped  to  the  upright 
pillar  at  the  marked  division.  The  direct  acting  screw  then  made 
the  fine  adjustment.  There  was  a  substage  condenser  formed  of  a 
biconvex  lens. 

The  most  important  microscope  of  the  time  was,  however,  that 
invented  by  Dr.  Smith,  of  Cambridge,  in  1738.  He  evidently  saw 
that  the  aberrations  of  the  uncorrected  object  glass  rendered  com- 
pound microscopes  of  little  use.  Leeuwenhoek's  success  with 
single  lenses,  and  the  popularity   of  Wilson's  adaptation  of  them, 


224  E.    M.    NELSON    ON    HISTORIC    MICROSCOPE. 

could  be  easily  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  although  the  single 
lenses  had  less  power,  they  gave  much  sharper  images,  because  the 
aberrations  of  the  uncorrected  lenses  were  not  magnified. 

Knowing  this,  he  set  to  work  to  lift  the  compound  microscope 
out  of  the  mire ;  and  so  thoroughly  did  he  do  it,  that  60  years 
afterwards  I  find  it  referred  to  in  the  following  terms  : — "  In  the 
opinion  of  the  ablest  judges,  it  is  incomparably  superior  to  them 
all." 

In  1837,  that  is,  100  years  after  its  invention,  Sir  D.  Brewster 
says  : — "  It  performs  wonderfully  well,   though  both  the  specula 
have  their  polish  considerably  injured.    It  shows  the  lines  on  some 
of  the  test  objects  with  very  considerable  sharpness."     What  a 
report  for  a  philosophical  instrument  100  years  old  !     Can  anyone 
bring  me  a  microscope  twenty  years  old  that  will  show  the  lines  on 
some  of  the  test  objects  of  to-day  "  with  very  considerable  sharp- 
ness ?  "     What  philosophical  instrument  can  you  point  to  that  has 
stood  the  scorching  heat  of  100  years  of  improvements  without 
being  demolished  ?     Dr.  Smith,  seeing  the  impossibility  of  doing 
anything  with  uncorrected  lenses,  devised  a  reflecting  microscope, 
the  arrangement  of  the  mirrors  being  somewhat  similar  to  that  in 
a  Cassegrain  telescope.     The  rays  of  light,  condensed  on  the  object 
by    a    substage   condenser,    passed    on    to    a    concave    speculum, 
which  took  the  place  of  the  object  glass  of  the  compound  micro- 
scope ;     they  were   reflected    back  to  a    convex  speculum,    which 
brought  them  to  a  focus  where  they  were  examined  by  a  biconvex 
eye-glass.     There  was  a  stop  placed  in   the   tube  near  the  hole 
in  the  convex  speculum  to  prevent  any  direct  rays  entering  the  eye. 
In  speaking  of  the  condenser,  he  says,  "  that  this  lens  should  be 
just  so  broad  as  to  subtend  the  opposite  angle  to  that  which  the 
concave  speculum  subtends  at  the  object."     This  is,  perhaps,  one 
of  the  most   extraordinary  statements   in  the  annals   of   historic 
microscopy.      This  principle,  viz.,   that  of   placing  the  object  in 
the  conjugate  foci  of  the  objective  and  condenser,  and   of  making 
the  angle  of  the  illuminating  cone  equal  to  the  angular  aperture 
of  the  objective,  1  have  enunciated  here  for  some  years  past,  and 
have   repeatedly   exhibited    objects   under  that  illumination   both 
here  and  elsewhere,  little  thinking  that  Dr.  Smith  had  laid  down 
the  same  principles  150  years  ago.      It  would,  indeed,  be  a  grand 
thing  if  glasses  nowadays  were  well  enough  corrected  to  permit  of 
their  being  illuminated  by  solid  cones  of  light  equal  in  angle  to 


E.    M.    NELSON    ON    HISTORIC    MICROSCOPY.  225 

the  objectives.  After  stating  this  fundamental  principle  he  gets 
a  little  hazy,  for  he  goes  on  to  say,  "  that  the  annular  frame  of  the 
lens  must  be  very  narrow,  and  connected  to  the  microscope  by  two 
or  three  slender  wires  or  blades,  so  as  to  intercept  as  little  sky- 
light from  the  object  as  possible/'  Of  course,  any  light  passing 
through  the  object  at  a  greater  obliquity  than  the  aperture  of  the 
concave  metal  would  have  no  effect  at  all. 

Although  Sir  D.  Brewster  passes  such  encomiums  on  this 
microscope,  and  enters  minutely  into  its  construction,  he  leaves 
these  important  principles  untouched,  not  mentioning  the  illumi- 
nating part  of   the   instrument   at   all. 

As  far  as  I  am  able  to  make  out,  Dr.  Smith's  microscope  had  a 
power  of  300  diam.,  and  an  aperture  of  about  60°. 

Lieberkiihn  used  single  lenses,  and  illuminated  opaque  objects  by 
concave  mirrors,  1738. 

The  concave  mirror,  which  was  still  used,  was  an  advance,  but 
the  single  lens  was  retrograde  ;  the  sliding  focussing  arrangement 
was  very  crude.  If  these  instruments  were  intended  for  use  with 
diffused  daylight,  the  bi-convex  condenser  was  a  mistake,  but  it  would 
have  been  of  advantage  if  a  lamp  were  held  in  its  principal  focus. 
About  this  time  Culpeper  made  a  compound  microscope,  vertically 
placed  on  a  box  stand  with  a  sliding-tube  coarse  adjustment,  the 
position  of  the  body  being  indicated  for  the  various  powers  after 
J.  Marshall's  plan.  Culpeper  had  no  fine  adjustment,  but  he 
was  the  first  to  put  a  concave  mirror  for  the  illumination  of 
transparent  objects.  During  the  next  40  years  the  instrument  goes 
through  great  changes  in  the  hands  of  Cuff,  Adams  (father  and 
son),  Benjamin  Martin,  and  Jones. 

In  1743  Cuff's  microscope  had  a  box-stand  like  Marshall's  and 
Culpeper's,  a  sliding  coarse  adjustment,  with  focus  of  objectives 
marked  as  before,  and  a  direct  acting  screw  fine  adjustment.  A 
diaphragm  was  here  mentioned  for  the  first  time.  The  microscope, 
however,  did  not  incline. 

In  1746,  Martin- Adams  made  a  non-inclining  microscope  with 
a  rack  and  pinion  focussing  adjustment  to  the  stage.  The 
various  powers  were  fitted  to  a  strip  of  brass  sliding  in  the 
nose-piece,  with  a  notch  and  spring  to  centre  them.  It  also 
had  a  sliding  tube  focussing  condenser  fitted  to  the  underneath 
part  of  the  stage,  box-stand,  plane  and  concave  mirrors. 

In  1747  Cuff  added  a   micrometer  to  his  instrument,  also  im- 


226  E.    M.    NELSON    ON    HISTORIC    MICROSCOPY. 

proved  the  Wilson  microscope.  Adams  now  improved  his  micro- 
scope by  making  the  body  move  at  the  junction  between  the  arm 
and  the  square  bar,  so  that  it  could  pass  over  any  part  of  the  object, 
instead  of  moving  the  object  under  the  body.  This  so-called  im- 
provement was  eminently  in  a  retrograde  direction,  as  it  threw  the 
optic  axis  of  the  body  out  of  centre  with  that  of  the  condenser, 
but  Boss  adopted  it,  as  we  shall  see  presently. 

Adams  put  the  condenser  on  a  separate  sub-stage,  and  altered 
the  sliding  strip  of  powers  to  a  wheel  of  powers  ;  in  other  words, 
a  rotating  nose-piece. 

The  last  one  of  this  series  is  the  Martin-Jones.  The  following 
were  its  main  features  : — Inclining  ;  rack-work  focussing  stage  ; 
sub-stage  ;  tripod  stand  replacing  the  usual  box ;  rotating  nose- 
piece  ;  draw-tube  to  body  ;  rack  and  pinion  movement  to  body 
in  a  vertical  direction  over  the  object  ;  tangential  movement 
to  stage  under  the  body,  so  the  usual  rectangular  movements  to 
the  object  were  given  half  by  the  body  and  half  by  the  stage. 
There  was  a  super-stage   bull's-eye  condenser  and  Lieberkiihn. 

Martin  after  this  brought  out  a  microscopic  pocket  telescope.  The 
four-lens  eye-piece  of  a  small  pocket  telescope  was  made  into  a  micro- 
scope. The  way  this  was  carried  out  is  so  neat  that  it  is  worthy  of 
notice.  By  twisting  one  of  the  tubes  over  the  other,  an  aperture 
was  revealed  in  the  side  of  the  telescope.  The  mirror,  which  stowed 
away  in  the  cap  of  the  telescope,  fitted  into  the  tube  and  light  fell 
on  it  through  the  hole  in  the  side.  Objects  were  placed  in  small 
circular  holes  formed  round  metal  discs,  which  also  packed  away  in 
the  cap.  This  formed  what  we  should  now  call  a  rotating  object- 
holder. 

In  1777  De  la  Barre  introduced  changing  eye-pieces,  and  in  1787, 
under  the  second  Adams,  non-aplanatic  microscopes  may  be  said  to 
have  reached  their  zenith. 

The  next  thing  which  engaged  men's  minds  was  to  get  better 
results  than  the  compound  chromatic  microscope  would  give.  In 
this  country  Wollaston  worked  at  simple  microscopes,  and  Amici, 
on  the  Continent,  at  reflectors. 

In  1812  Wollaston  brought  out  a  periscopic  doublet,  and  after- 
wards Sir  David  Brewster  an  oil-immersion  lens,  an  endomersion 
objective,  and  lenses  of  gems.  Then  came  Sir  David  Brewster's 
great  discovery,  viz.,  the  grooved  sphere,  which  is  the  Oocluington 
lens.     Sir  J.  Herschel   invented  his  doublet  of  a  bi-convex   and 


E.    M.    NELSON    ON    HISTORIC    MICROSCOPY.  227 

meniscus  in  1821.  Andrew  Pritchard  made  a  triplet,  Blackie  one 
composed  of  a  garnet,  a  quartz,  and  a  flint  glass,  Sir  D.  Brewster 
one  of  two  fluids  and  a  solid. 

Then  comes  the  celebrated  Wollaston  doublet,  in  1829,  which 
was  like  a  small  Huyghenian  eye-piece,  with  the  plane  sides 
of  the  lenses  towards  the  object.  This  he  fitted  to  a  very  neat 
stand  with  a  plano-convex  condenser  placed  beneath  the  stage,  so 
that  the  object  was  in  its  focus.  It  had  also  a  mirror,  and  rack- 
work  focussing.  This  instrument  may  be  called  the  culminating 
point  of  the  simple  microscope.  We  must  now  go  back  to  the 
compound  microscope.  Amici,  who  had  been  trying  to  achroma- 
tize refractors,  gave  it  up,  and  tried  to  improve  reflectors.  His 
method  was  a  modification  of  Newton's.  Goring,  Pritchard 
and  the  Tulleys  improved  on  it,  and  reflecting  microscopes 
reached  their  most  perfect  form  in  the  Goring-Pritchard  "  engi- 
scope," with  metals  made  by  Cuthbert.  "  Engiscope  "  is  a  new 
word  Dr.  Goring  tried  to  introduce  for  microscope  ;  it  means 
to  see  near  things.  Before  leaving  these  antiques,  let  me  mention 
that  in  Pritchard's  engiscope  we  first  find  Tyrrell's  stage-move- 
ments, which  form  is  still  retained  by  Messrs.  Powell  and  Lealand. 
The  body  of  these  instruments  was  fixed,  and  the  stage  focussed 
instead.  The  stand  was  an  ordinary  telescope  clip  stand,  with  a 
compass-joint,  only  it  had  a  cruciform  foot  instead  of  the  usual 
tripod,  a  levelling-screw  being  placed  in  one  of  its  legs. 

We  now  come  to  the  last  part  of  our  subject,  namely,  the  in- 
vention of  the  achromatic  objective  for  compound  microscopes.  It 
was,  as  you  may  well  conjecture,  by  no  means  the  work  of  one 
man,  but  the  result  of  the  combined  action  of  many  minds.  I 
shall  not  mention  all  the  names  which  go  to  make  up  that  great 
list  of  workers  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  the  beautiful  instru- 
ments we  now  have.  As  this  paper  is  an  abstract  of  types  rather 
than  men,  if  I  do  not  mention  any  notable  worker  in  this  field,  it 
is  not  because  I  undervalue  his  labours. 

In  1816,  Frauenhofer,  of  Munich,  made  a  single  achromatic 
lens,  but  its  performance  was  considered  inferior  to  the  chromatic 
lenses  of  that  day. 

In  1823,  M.  Selligues,  in  France,  made  a  lens  of  four  achro- 
matic combinations,  which  were  for  combined  or  separate  use.  It 
does  not  appear  that  it  was  a  very  successful  glass,  but  it  was  the 
first  to  demonstrate  the  great  advantage  of  combining  achromatics 


228  E.    M.    NELSON    ON    HISTORIC    MICROSCOPY. 

in  one  combination  or  object  glass.  The  focus  of  each  of  the  com- 
pound parts  varied  from  1-|  to  l£  inch,  but  the  convex  sides  of  the 
lenses  were  turned  towards  the  object,  so  that  the  spherical  aberra- 
tion of  the  combination  was  at  its  maximum. 

In  1825,  M.  Chevalier  made  lenses  of  less  focal  length,  and 
turned  the  plane  side  to  the  object,  which  was  a  great  advance  on 
the  previous  method.  His  highest  power  was  a  combination  of 
two  T%. 

In  the  same  year,  1825,  Mr.  Tulley,  with  the  assistance  of  Mr. 
Joseph  Jackson  Lister,  made  a  triplet  of  something  less  than  one 
inch  in  focus  and  18°  in  aperture.  Afterwards  he  made  another 
of  still  shorter  focus,  which,  when  combined  with  the  first,  in- 
creased the  aperture  to  38°.  This  combination  is  said  to  have 
stood  a  power  of  300  diams.  very  well.  Andrew  Ross,  speaking 
of  these  triplets,  said,  "  that  they  never  have  been  exceeded  by  any 
similar  combination  for  accurate  correction  throughout  the  field." 

Prof.  Amici,  in  1827,  brought  a  horizontal  microscope  to  this 
country  with  a  triple  achromatic  objective. 

In  1830,  J.  J.  Lister  read  a  paper  before  the  Royal  Society  on 
"  Some  Properties  in  Achromatic  Object-glasses  Applicable  to  the 
Improvement  of  the  Microscope."  From  the  lines  laid  down  in 
this  paper,  Ross,  Powell,  and  James  Smith  made  objectives  which 
surpassed  any  made  elsewhere. 

In  conclusion,  let  me  point  out  how  the  extraordinary  instru- 
ments I  have  already  described  got  transformed  into  those  of  the 
present  day. 

Andrew  Pritchard's  compound  refracting  microscope  consisted 
of  a  telescope  tripod  clip  stand  with  compass  joint  for  inclination, 
a  Tyrrell's  stage,  a  condensing  lens  on  substage,  and  a  mirror. 
The  focussing  adjustments  of  this  instrument  were  peculiar.  The 
arm  carrying  the  compound  body  was  fixed  to  a  tube  which  fitted 
in  the  tube  forming  the  tail-piece,  and  came  out  of  the  end  of  the  tail- 
piece. The  coarse  adjustment  was  effected  by  pushing  this  tube  in 
and  out.  At  the  end  of  this  tube  was  a  milled  head,  which,  when 
turned  round,  worked  a  direct  acting  screw  fine  adjustment,  in  a 
manner  similar  to  the  ordinary  Hartnack,  only  it  was  at  the  end  of 
the  tail-piece  instead  of  in  the  usual  place. 

In  1826,  Mr.  James  Smith  made  for  Mr.  Joseph  Lister  a  micro- 
scope on  the  following  plan  : — Folding  tripod  stand  with  single 
pillar,    compass  joint.      The   compound    body    slides    in    a    tube 


E.  M.  NELSON  ON  HISTORIC  MICROSCOPY.  229 

fastened  to  the  arm,  with  rack  and  pinion  focussing,  like  the  tail- 
piece of  a  telescope,  eye-piece  screwed  into  draw  tube.  There  were 
draw  tube  steadying  rods  fixed  to  the  tripod  feet  like  a  telescope, 
a  mechanical  stage,  an  elementary  substage,  and  a  mirror. 

The  last  microscope  I  am  going  to  describe  is  one  of  the 
earliest  of  Andrew  Ross  in  1831.  Stand  was  non -inclining, 
vertical  rod  on  tripod  foot,  rack  and  pinion,  triangular  bar, 
coarse  adjustment,  direct  acting  screw,  fine  adjustment,  with 
milled  head  at  the  bottom  of  the  pillar  underneath  the  tripod 
foot.  The  mirror  was  fixed  to  one  leg  of  the  foot.  A  mechanical 
stage  with  rectangular  movements,  also  mechanical  movements 
to  body  to  move  it  over  the  object.  There  was  no  tail-piece,  but  a 
condensing  lens  was  placed  in  a  tube  fitting  to  the  underneath  part 
of  the  stage. 

I  have  now  brought  the  history  of  the  microscope  to  a  date  so 
near  the  present  time  that  the  further  advances  in  the  construction 
of  the  instrument  will  be  well  known  to  you  all. 


230 


On  A  Method,  of  Equalising  the  Thickness  op  Slips  when 
using  an  Oil  Immersion  Condenser. 

By  E.  M.  Nelson. 

(Bead  Nov.   27th  1885.) 

It  is  necessary  that  an  oil  immersion  condenser  should  have  a 
fairly  long  focus,  otherwise  it  would  be  of  no  use  if  the  slip 
happened  to  be  rather  thick. 

If  the  slip  is  thin  it  will  be  found  impossible  to  keep  the  oil 
contact  when  the  condenser  is  in  focus,  unless  you  increase  the 
thickness  of  the  slip  by  uniting  a  thick  cover  glass  to  the  back  by 
oil.  It  will  be  found  very  difficult  to  do  this  without  oiling  the 
stage  when  the  microscope  is  inclined.  The  oil  between  the 
condenser  and  the  cover  glass  is  sure  to  unite  with  that  between 
the  cover  glass  and  slip,  and  then  the  cover  glass  falls,  upsetting 
the  whole  arrangement.  I  have  found  the  following  plan  to  answer 
admirably  :  A  piece  of  glass  one  inch  square,  upon  one  side  of 
which,  close  to  one  edge,  a  strip  ^in.  broad  is  fastened  by  shell-lac, 
is  oiled  to  the  back  of  the  slip  ;  the  ledge  hooking  over  the  edge 
of  the  slip  prevents  it  slipping  down. 


231 


Final  Notes  on  the  So-Called  Desiccation  of  Rotifers. 

By  Henry  Davis. 

(Read  November  27th,   1885.) 

A  writer  in  the  "  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal "  for  June, 
1873,  criticising,  in  a  friendly  spirit,  a  paper  on  Rotifers  I  had 
recently  read,  intimated  that  its  chief  merit  consisted  in  its 
certainty  of  closing  all  contention,  and  in  putting  the  "  inevitable 
dried  Rotifer  "  at  rest  for  ever.  But  he  was  mistaken  ;  the  dry 
Rotifer  discussion,  like  the  creatures  themselves,  may  lie  dormant 
for  a  time,  but  being  "  scotched,  not  killed,"  it  revives  again  on  the 
smallest  provocation.  In  fact  you  may  well  consider  it  has  been 
revived  too  often,  and  be  little  inclined  to  listen  to  a  repetition, 
however  brief,  of  a  much  more  than  thrice  told  tale ;  but  when  I 
state  that  my  short  paper  is  called  "final  notes,"  &c,  you  will, 
perhaps,  see  that  there  is  at  least  one  thing  attractive  about  it,  and 
may,  therefore,  forgive  a  last  effort  to  simplify  and  solve  a  very  old 
and  difficult  problem. 

These  notes  form  a  sequel  to  a  paper  read  before  the  Royal 
Microscopical  Society,  in  April,  1873.*  Before  that  date  the 
matter  stood  thus  : — nearly  two  centuries  had  elapsed  since  it  had 
been  discovered  that  certain  minute  aquatic  creatures — now  called 
Rotifera — could  be  kept  in  a  dry  shrivelled  condition  for  a  consider- 
able time,  and  then  become  active  on  being  supplied  with  water. 
But  it  was  much  later  that  special  experiments  were  made  to  test 
the  endurance  of  these  Rotifers  under  extended  drought  and 
extreme  temperatures.  Very  conflicting  were  the  various  accounts 
of  the  results,  and  in  consequence  two  opposing  parties  were 
formed,  one  believing  that  the  creatures  could  be  boiled  and  baked 
to  any  extent,  and  air-pumped  until  they  were  dry  through  and 
through,  or  "  desiccated,"  all  without  affecting  their  vitality.  In 
fact,  repeated  thorough  drying  only  tended  to  prolong  their  lives,  as 
it  was  said  they  could  be  kept  dry  for  an  "unlimited  time,"  and  then 

*  "  A  New  Callidina,  with  the  Eesult  of  Experiments  on  the  Desiccation 
ofKotifers." 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  14.  t 


232       H.    DAVIS    ON    THE    SO-CALLED    DESICCATION    OF    ROTIFERS. 

be  revived.  Then  there  was  the  incredulous  party,  who  denied  some 
things  stated  by  their  opponents,  and  vainly  tried  to  explain  others. 

In  1872  the  balance  of  evidence  so  far  favoured  what  may  be 
called  the  dry-and-immortal  theory,  that  the  standard  text  books — 
in  England  at  least — summed  up  entirely  in  its  favour.  Dr. 
Carpenter,  in  his  "  Microscope  and  its  Revelations,"  said,  when 
speaking  of  Rotifers  and  Tardigrades,  "  they  can  be  reduced  to  a 
most  complete  state  of  dryness,  kept  in  this  condition  for  any  length 
oj  time,  and  revive  on  being  moistened.  .  .  .  Individuals  have  been 
kept  in  a  vacuum  with  sulphuric  acid  and  chloride  of  calcium  (thus 
suffering  the  most  complete  desiccation  the  chemist  can  effect)  and 
yet  have  not  lost  their  capability  of  revivification."  Pritchard 
taught  exactly  the  same  lesson. 

About  this  time,  however,  G.  H.  Lewes,  in  his  "  Studies  of 
Animal  Life,"  made  out  a  fair  case  for  the  other  side.  He  did  not 
indeed  advance  anything  absolutely  new,  but  his  clear  common- 
sense  arguments  toldcrushingly  against  the  common  fallacy,  and  led 
him  very  near  to  a  full  explanation  of  all  the  undoubted  facts.  His 
belief — like  that  of  Spallanzani  before  him — was  that  sand  and 
dirt  formed  a  perfect  protection  against  the  absorptive  and  drying 
effects  of  a  vacuum  and  of  heat,  and  had  found  that  Rotifers,  when 
naturally  dried  on  a  glass-slip  without  dirt,  never  revived,  therefore 
dirt  was  somehow  the  preservative. 

I,  for  one,  not  being  satisfied  with  the  dirt  theory,  went  carefully 
over  all  the  experiments  I  could  read  of,  having  a  good  stock  of 
material,  mainly  P.  roseola?.  I  found  that  they  certainly  could  be 
revived  after  being  heated  to  200°  (Fah.),  and  that  some  survived 
a  week's  confinement  in  the  vacuum  of  an  excellent  air-pump  with 
sulphuric  acid. 

Rotifers  treated  as  described  were  then  picked  out  with  a  pencil 
and  crushed  between  two  glasses  under  the  microscope,  when  some 
of  these  Rotifers  (which  had  undergone  "  the  most  complete 
desiccation  the  chemist  could  effect")  distinctly  emitted  their  con- 
tained fluids,  and  the  certainty  was  apparent  that  the  desiccating 
power  of  the  air-pump  had  been  over-rated.  It  occurred  to  me  that 
Rotifers  generally  being  slimy,  their  gelatinous  secretion  might,  on 
their  drying,  coat  these  Philodines  all  over,  and  form  a  strong 
shell,  proof  against  the  air-pump  and  the  ineffective  chemist.  Some 
grapes  were  then  thinly  coated  with  good  glue,  and  as  these  were 
found  to  bear  the  air-pump  with  acid  without  fracture  or  internal 
drying,  it  was  but  a  fair  inference  that  the  Rotifers,  if  similarly 


H.    DAVIS    ON   THE    SO-CALLED    DESICCATION    OF    ROTIFERS.       233 

coated,  were  similarly  able  to  bear  its  action  without  injury.  But 
of  course  there  was  no  certainty — only  a  strong  probability — that 
they  were  so  coated: 

It  is  not  quite  so  clear  how  a  dry  gelatinous  shell  would  be  pro- 
tective against  heat,  although  it  would  be  far  better  than  the 
suggested  porous  dirt  or  sand  ;  still,  as  experiments  show  that 
any  temperature  much  above  200°  both  dries  and  kills  the  Rotifers, 
such  a  shell  may  be  considered  protective  so  far.  Other  creatures 
(even  man  himself  in  modellers'  ovens  for  example)  have  been  known 
to  bear  extremely  high  temperatures  without  much  inconvenience. 

There  is  no  room  for  complaint  as  to  the  reception  of  my  theory. 
The  fifth  and  subsequent  editions  of  Dr.  Carpenter's  book  accepted 
it,  Drs.  Drysdale  and  Dallinger  immediately  adopted  and  adapted 
it  to  their  Bacteria  germs,  and  a  micro-biologist  of  note  found  a 
good  sounding  name  for  the  process, — "  encapsulation." 

But  there  was  always  a  difficulty  in  proving  that  the  living 
externally-dried  Rotifers  were  encapsuled.  I  devised  a  sort  of  stage 
trap-tank,  with  a  shelf  inside,  to  induce  them  when  active  to  dry 
apart  from  the  dirt,  &c. ;  this  with  partial  success,  as  single  dry 
specimens  were  sometimes  found  apparently  gummed  to  the  glass. 

Dr.  Hudson,  writing  in  1873,  said  : — "  Mr.  Davis's  solution  of 
a  much-vexed  question  is  as  probable  as  it  is  new,  and  although  it 
may  possibly  require  confirmation  from  future  observers,  I  have 
little  doubt  that  such  confirmation  it  will  receive."  Well,  after 
twelve  years,  the  confirmation  has  come  at  last.  The  Rev.  Edward  J. 
Holloway,  of  Clehonger,  has  found  enormous  numbers  of  P.  roseolce 
in  the  rain  gutters  of  his  church,  and  the  very  happy  thought 
occurred  to  him  of  placing  some  strips  of  paper  in  these  gutters  in 
the  rainy  season,  with  a  view  to  obtaining  some  clear  gatherings  of 
the  Rotifers  when  they  had  dried.  He  was  entirely  successful.  Dry 
groups  in  hundreds  were  taken.  They  have  a  varnish-like  coating 
all  over,  and  are  distinctly  glued  together — mostly  in  one  plane — 
and  to  the  paper. 

Examples  are  on  the  table  under  the  microscope,  some  dry  living 
groups  on  paper,  and  some  in  water  taken  this  afternoon  from  the 
same  paper.  Writing  of  these,  Dr.  Hudson  says  : — "Mr.  Hollo- 
way's  beautiful  groups  prove  your  case  beyond  a  shadow  of  a  doubt. 
I  have  a  whole  pavement  of  Philodines  glued  together  ;  moreover, 
transparent  prolongations  of  the  gelatinous  secretion  may  be  seen 
stretching  from  one  to  another." 


234 


Corrigenda  to  Prof.  Cleve's  Paper  "  On  Some  Fossil  Marine 

Diatoms,"  &c. 

In  the  above-named  paper,  which  Professor  Cleve  placed  in  my 
hands  to  edit,  I  find  that  the  following  errors  have  unfortunately 
escaped  my  notice  when  revising  the  proofs,  viz  : — 

At  page  166,  "  Navicula  nitescens"  &c,  should  read  "  Navicula 

nitescens  (Greg.  N.  Smithii  var.  nitescens"  &c. 
Dele  "  (N.  Smithii  var.)"  in  line  2. 
„  „     last  line,  for  "  Atl."  read  "  Nord." 

„        167,  line  2,  for  "  42  "  read  "  72." 
„  „      „      17,  for  "  ^Egena "  read  «  ^Egina." 

„  „       „     18,  19,  24,  for  "  Crabo  "  read  "  Crabro." 

„        168,  for  "  Gomphenema"    read    "  Gomphonema  ;  "    for 
"  Gephyrea  "  read  "  Gephyria  "  ;    second   line 
from  bottom,  for  "  76  "  read  "  46." 
169,  line  15,  for  "  from  the  centre  angles  ;  "  read  "  from 
the  centre  ;  angles  obtuse." 
„    32,  for  "  s."  read  "  f." 
„    4,  for  "  more  "  read  "  less." 

6,  for  "  trigone"  read  "trigonal 


» 


>) 

)> 

» 

170 

>> 

)» 

>> 

» 

>> 

>» 

}> 

jj 

>) 


>) 

)) 

>> 

» 

)> 

>> 

17; 

)> 

» 

V 

71 

„    15,  dele";" 

„    13  from  bottom,  for  "  24  "  read  "  27." 
„    3  from  bottom,  for  "  not  T.  production"  &c, 
read  "  (not    T.  productum,   Grev.,    1861)   and 
T.  Balearicum,  CI.  and  Grun.,  kongh.  Sv.  Vet.," 
&c. 

„  16,  for  "  reticular  "  read  «  reticulation." 
„  10  from  bottom,  for  "  pi.  2  "  read  "  12." 
,,    4  from  bottom,  for  "  Thaumatodisci  "  read 

"  ThAUMATODISCJS." 

„    14,  for  "  g  "  read  "  s." 

„    18,  insert  "it"  after  "4." 

„    9    from  bottom,  for  "  Arachnoidisca  "  read 

"  ARACHNOIDISCE." 


CORRIGENDA.  235 

At  page  174,  line  1,  insert  "  e  "  between  "  l  "  and  "  m." 

„  „       „    6,  insert  "  with  "  after  "  surface,"  dele  " , " 

after  "  concentric." 
„    27,  insert  rt  n.  sp  "  after  "  CI." 
„  „        „     6  from  bottom,  for  "  4  "  read  "  14." 

,,  „        „     4  from  bottom,  "  Craspedodiscus"  should  com- 

mence a  fresh  paragraph. 
,,        175     „    27,  C.  Argus  should  run  on  with  C.  hetero- 
porus;  pi.  xiii.,  for  "  12d."  read  (i  13d." 
In  my  list  of   additional  species  I  had   inserted   Asterolampra 
Marylandica.      This  is   also   in   Prof.   Cleve's  list.      In  two   or 
three  instances  "  Ch  "  occurs  for  "  CI." 

F.  KlTTON. 


230 


PROCEEDINGS. 

August  14th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

T.  Section  of  stem  Apotiogeton  distachum  ...  Mr.  F.  "W.  Andrew. 

Marine  polyzoa  ...         Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

Campy lo discus  biangulatus    ...         ...         ...  Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Varieties  of  Diorite    from  Warwickshire  7  ^r  q.  gm^]1 

coal  fields  ...         ■* 

Attendance — Members,  21  ;  Visitors,  1. 


August   28th,   1885. — Ordinary   Meeting. 
Dr.    M.    C.    Cooke,  M.A.,  A.L.S.,  Vice-President,  in  the  chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
Mr.  D.  W.  Greenhow  was  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  a  member  of  the 
Club. 

The  following  additions  to  the  Library  were  announced : — 
"Annual   Keport  of   Commissioners  of   the") 
Westminster  Free  Public  Library"...         ) 
"The     American     Monthly     Microscopical) 

Journal"  )       " 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  Society  "        ...     „         ,, 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Bristol  Society  "  ...     ,,         „ 

"  Proceedings  of  the  New  York  Society"       ...     „        ,, 
"  The  Amei-ican  Naturalist "     ...     „         „ 


The  Chairman  said  that  they  were  that  evening  in  the  unfortunate  posi- 
tion of  not  being  provided  with  any  paper,  and  as  he  was  not  aware  of  this 
until  a  few  minutes  before  the  meeting,  it  was,  of  course,  out  of  the  ques- 
tion to  produce  anything  ;  in  fact,  it  would  be  hardly  respectful  to  the 
Society  to  occupy  their  time  with  anything  on  which  no  thought  had  been 
bestowed.  But  whilst  some  other  member  might  collect  his  ideas,  he 
would  himself  meanwhile  just  mention  one  or  two  botanical  facts  which 
migbt  be  of  interest  to  some  of  those  present.  One  of  these  facts  was  con- 
cerning a  short  paper  which  appeared  in  the  "  Gardener's  Chronicle,"  and 
which  would  be  of  interest  to  those  who  studied  fungi,  as  relating  to  the 
common  wheat  mildew.  The  statement  of  fact  was  that  Mr.  Worthington 
Smith  in  examining  the  grain  of  oats,  with  a  view  to  determine  the  course 
of  development  of  the  common  black  smut  (Ustihgo),  found  that  in  the 
intermediate  stratum  of  the  tissue  there  were  growing  some  fixed  spores  of 


237 

the  wheat  mildew.  This  was  the  first  time  that  these  spores  had  been  found 
growing  in  the  kernel  of  wheat,  and  it  seemed  to  show  that  the  disease 
might  be  sown  with  the  wheat,  and  thus  be  perpetuated  through  successive 
generations.  It  had  been  found  before  upon  the  straw,  but  not  within  the 
seed  itself.  Drawings  were  given  with  the  paper,  and  it  was  not  easy  to 
estimate  the  value  which  this  discovery  might  possess  with  reference  to  the 
subject  of  the  eradication  of  the  pest. 

The  other  matter  to  which  he  would  refer  was  a  little  incident  which  had 
occurred  lately  at  the  gardens  at  Kew,  and  which  had  a  bearing  in  the  same 
direction.  In  the  Rockery  at  Kew  there  was  a  small  patch  about  2£  feet 
square  of  a  common  Alpine  flower,  Gentiana  acaulis,  growing  together 
with  other  plants  of  a  similar  kind.  The  whole  of  this  patch  of  Gentians 
was  in  an  apparently  sickly  and  dying  condition,  and  being  the  nearest 
doctor  he  was  called  in  to  examine  and  prescribe  for  the  patients.  He  found 
the  plants  were  infested  with  a  fungus  known  as  Puccinia  Gentiana,  which 
was  a  fungus  quite  new  to  Britain,  and  thoroughly  injurious  to  plants  of 
this  genus,  to  which  it  became  attached  in  their  native  habitat.  The  ques- 
tion naturally  arose  why  should  this  pest  travel  over  from  Germany  or 
France  and  settle  down  upon  this  particular  patch  of  Gentians  in  Kew 
Gardens  ?  An  inquiry  as  to  their  antecedents  showed  that  they  were  im- 
ported plants,  having  been  brought  over  from  Germany  during  the  pre- 
vious year,  and  this  led  to  the  conclusion  that  they  were  imported  with  the 
disease  in  them,  concealed  within  their  tissues,  and  that  it  had  subsequently 
developed  in  the  way  described.  The  whole  of  the  plants  were  at  once 
taken  up  and  burnt,  and  it  was  to  be  hoped  that  these  heroic  measures 
would  prevent  the  development  of-  any  more  of  the  fungi.  This  led  him  to 
remark  as  to  the  value  in  this  branch  of  natural  history  of  constant  and 
continuous  work,  and  of  the  results  which  were  certain  to  reward  the  worker 
who  would  only  persevere  in  a  given  pursuit.  Some  time  ago  he  wanted 
to  get  a  complete  catalogue  of  a  particular  genus  for  publication  in 
"  Grevillea,"  and  for  this  purpose  he  resolved  to  look  about  in  gardens  and 
other  places  wherever  he  went  to  see  if  he  could  not  find  some  other 
specimens  to  add  to  the  list.  He  did  this  on  every  opportunity  which  pre- 
sented itself  in  the  course  of  six  weeks,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  had 
raised  the  number  of  known  species  from  30  to  140.  This  showed  what  a 
little  perseverance  might  accomplish,  and  he  was  sure  the  same  thing 
Avould  hold  good  in  every  other  branch  of  study.  If  a  person  would 
confine  himself  to  one  particular  point,  he  would  soon  be  surprised  to  find 
how  much  could  be  made  of  it. 

Mr.  Buff  ham  wished  he  could  say  something  further  upon  the  subject 
started  by  the  Chairman,  but  confessed  himself  to  be  ignorant  about  it.  He 
would,  however,  make  a  few  remarks  upon  another  matter,  with  reference 
to  the  paper  which  he  read  before  the  Club  some  time  ago  on  the  red  sea- 
weeds and  their  mode  of  fructification.  He  was  in  hopes  that  the  reading  of 
that  paper  might  have  been  the  means  of  finding  him  a  coadjutor  in  the 
Quekett  Club,  but  although  it  had  not  done  so,  he  should  be  glad  to  take 
that  opportunity  of  conveying  to  the  members  a  few  more  ideas  on  the  sub- 


238 

ject,  for  he  wanted  them  to  know  that  the  rewards  from  this  research  were 
numerous,  not  only  because  this  branch  of  microscopy  furnished  them  with 
objects  which  were  both  numerous  and  very  beautiful,  but  because  there 
was  also  a  high  probability  that  really  valuable  work  might  be  done.  He 
might  add  that  since  the  date  of  his  paper  he  had  been  pursuing  the  sub- 
ject further,  and  it  had  been  his  good  fortune  to  come  across  a  good 
many  species  which  had  not  hitherto  been  recorded  in  Britain,  and  also 
some  which  had  not  been  recorded  at  all.  Usually  it  was  found  that  these 
plants  bore  three  kinds  of  fruit,  the  first  being  non-sexual  (tetraspores),  the 
second  male  (antheridia),  and  the  third  female  (cystocarp).  Usually  only 
one  of  these  kinds  was  found  on  the  same  plant,  but  sometimes  it  was  other- 
wise. Now,  on  looking  at  it,  the  question  was  one  of  very  great  interest  as 
to  what  could  be  the  cause  of  a  plant  bearing  sexual  fruit  in  this  way,  and 
he  thought  it  would  be  worth  any  one's  while  to  pursue  this  inquiry.  He 
had  noticed  that  sometimes  the  worn  ends  of  plants  producing  non-sexual 
fruit  had  grown  out  again  and  produced  sexual  fruit,  and  it  occurred  to  him 
that  perhaps  it  was  the  first  products  of  the  plants  that  were  tetraspores,  and 
that  the  process  was  something  analogous  to  the  process  of  nipping  off  the 
terminal  shoots  by  gardeners  to  increase  the  productiveness  of  the  other 
shoots.  Here  was,  he  thought,  a  line  of  inquiry  which  might  very  well  be 
followed  out  with  great  prospect  of  reward.  They  need  not  confine  them- 
selves to  a  consideration  of  the  red  species,  for  the  others  would  afford 
ample  opportunities  for  study.  The  classification  of  these  seaweeds  had  of 
late  years  undergone  considerable  revision  since  the  publication  of  the 
valuable  work  in  their  library  —  Harvey's  "  Phycologia  Britannica." 
Formerly  these  plants  were  classed  according  to  their  affinities  so  far  as 
the  means  then  at  disposal  enabled  them  to  be  determined,  so  that  the 
common  seaweed  Laminar ia,  according  to  the  old  method,  was  placed  in 
the  highest  class  because  it  was  seen  to  have  a  stem,  and  a  root,  and  a  leaf, 
but  now,  notwithstanding  its  apparent  perfection  of  form,  it  was  placed  in 
the  lowest  class  because  it  was  found  to  produce  only  zoospores.  Other 
instances  of  the  same  kind  were  cited  as  showing  that  there  was  in  this 
direction  a  large  field  open  to  useful  research,  and  that  if  any  one  would 
take  up  the  subject  there  was  abundant  work  for  him  to  do. 

The  Chairman  said  that  Mr.  Buffham  had  pointed  out  some  matters 
which  he  could  say  were  well  worth  their  attention.  First,  as  to  the 
beauty  of  the  objects  in  this  class,  he  entirely  agreed  with  the  remark  as  to 
that  of  the  Floridice,  not  only  in  themselves  as  matters  of  colour  and  form, 
but  if  they  would  cut  some  thin  sections  of  the  stems  they  would  find  that 
they  rivalled  the  famous  sections  of  Echinus  spines,  about  which  so  much 
used  to  be  said.  Then  as  to  monstrosities,  it  was  very  much  the  habit  of 
people  to  look  at  a  thing  and  then  to  pass  it  by  as  "  only  a  monstrosity," 
forgetting  that  these  variations  taught  more  of  the  morphology  of  a  plant 
than  could  be  learnt  in  any  other  way.  Next,  as  to  the  alterations  which 
were  being  made  in  the  positions  of  species  from  one  class  to  another. 
This  had  been  the  case  in  every  branch,  the  reason  being  that  whereas  the 
old  authors  classified  objects  by  their  external  affinities,  the  application  of 


239 

the  microscope  had  led  to  the  discovery  of  bonds  of  union  far  closer  than 
those  which  were  previously  known  or  suspected.  The  question  as  to  why 
some  plants  produced  only  male  organs  and  others  only  female  was  next 
taken  in  review,  and  he  regarded  the  processes  mentioned  as  rather 
analogous  to  budding  than  to  what  might  be  properly  called  seed,  budding 
being  produced  before  fruiting.  These  questions  required  further  know, 
ledge  before  they  could  be  satisfactorily  answered.  At  one  time  it  was 
thought  that  in  the  case  of  Spirogyra  one  thread  was  male  and  another 
female,  and  some  very  pretty  ideas  were  based  upon  this,  only  it  happened 
that  nature  contradicted  it,  and  the  fair  inference  was  that,  not  the  whole 
thread  was  a  separate  plant,  but  that  each  cell  was  so.  Some  time  ago 
curious  experiments  were  made  in  animal  life  as  to  what  conditions  were 
necessary  for  the  production  of  males  or  females,  and  some  hard-headed 
farmers  tried  to  turn  this  to  practical  account,  with  a  fair  amount  of 
success.  Then,  again,  in  bees  and  aphides  they  had  an  example  of  an 
a-sexual  condition,  and  it  did  not  need  any  further  remark  to  show  that  a 
study  of  many  of  these  facts  might  lead  to  conclusions  of  great  practical 
value  and  interest.  He  felt  sure  that  they  would  return  their  thanks  to 
Mr.  Buff  ham  for  bringing  up  a  subject  which  could  not  fail  to  be  of  interest 
to  every  practical  man. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  Mr.  Buffham  for 
his  remarks. 

Announcements  of  meetings  and  excursions  for  the  ensuing  month  were 
then  made,  and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione. 
The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Bark  of  plane  tree  ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrews. 

Aquatic   lepidopterous    larva,    Hydrocampa ) 

lemnaUs  \     Mr*  R*  T'  G*  Nevins- 

Moss,  Milium  liornum   ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  W.  Watson. 

An  old   French  compound  microscope  with  ) 
three  simple  lenses      f     Mr.  C.  Rousselet, 

Attendance — Members,  3i  ;   Visitor,  1. 


September  11th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Tingis  cardui  (Thistle-bug)  Pupa         Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Larva  of  Chironomus  prasinus 

Sertularia,  with  polypes  extended 

Den  obtnsa 

Alcyonella  fungosa 

Spongilla  igloorformis    ... 

Alcyonella  fungosa         ...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  C.  Kousselet. 

Attendance — Members,  29 ;  Visitors,  0. 


Mr.  A.  Hammond. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 
Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Kevins. 

»»  »>  » 

Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 


240 

September  25th,  1885. — Ordinary  Meeting. 

A.    D.    Michael,    Esq.,    F.L.S.,    F.R.M.S.,   President,   in    the 

Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
Mr.   A.  T.  Spriggs  was  balloted  for,  and  duly  elected  a  member  of  the 
Club. 
The  following  additions  to  the  Library  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society"    ...         ...     From  the  Society. 

"Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society "         ,,  ,, 

"  Proceedings  of  the  New  York  Microscopical  ) 
Society "       ...         ...         ...         ...  •> 

"  The     American    Monthly     Microscopical")     j    excv.an2.e 
Journal"       ...         ...         j 


"  The  American  Naturalist" 


» 


"  Annual  Report  of  the  South  London  MicroO     From  tlie  Society. 
scopical  Society"    ...         ...         ...         ) 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Belgian  Microscropical)      j    excT,anffe 
Society"        ...         ...         ) 

Supplement  to  Piaget's  "  Les  Pediculines  "     ...     Purchased. 

Poulson's  "Botanical  Micro-chemistry "         ...  „ 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  President  delivered  his  inaugural  address  to  the  Club,  this  being  the 
first  occasion  on  which  he  had  occupied  the  chair  since  his  election. 

Professor  Charles  Stewart  said  that  he  was  not  aware  when  he  came  to  the 
meeting  that  he  should  be  called  upon  to  say  anything,  but  as  there  appeared 
to  be  no  paper  to  come  before  them,  he  would  just  occupy  a  few  minutes  in 
recounting  some  recent  observations.  At  the  present  time  most  persons 
were  returning  from  their  holiday  trips,  and  he  had  himself  just  come  back 
from  the  North  Coast  of  Cornwall,  where  the  rocks  were  of  a  very  rugged 
character,  and  often  exceedingly  precipitous,  and  the  sea  in  stormy  weather 
rolled  its  great  waves  in  direct  from  the  Atlantic.  On  arriving  he  went 
down  to  the  quay  to  take  a  look  round,  and,  meeting  some  fishermen,  in- 
quired what  they  caught,  and  found  that  though  there  were  not  many  crabs, 
they  took  a  great  many  crawfish.  A  basket  of  these  was  hauled  up  for  his 
inspection,  and  he  found  he  could  purchase  them  for  8d.  or  lOd.  each  instead 
of  two  or  three  shillings  as  charged  in  London.  As  soon  as  they  were 
hauled  up  the  great  spiny  fellows  stood  up  and  began  making  a  noise 
resembling  the  very  loud  croak  of  a  laige  frog.  No  doubt  it  would  have 
sounded  much  louder  if  it  could  have  been  heard  under  water.  These 
crawfish  and  a  few  others  have  the  power  of  producing  audible  sounds,  and 
the  way  in  which  it  was  done  was  rather  interesting.  By  means  of  a  draw- 
ing  on  the  black-board  Professor  Stewart  showed  that  in  the  mid  line  below 
the  eye  segment  is  that  wrhich  bears  the  first  pair  of  antennas,  this  segment 
is  provided  with  two  smooth  surfaces.  On  either  side  of  the  segment  are 
found  the  larger  second  antennas,  the  proximal  pieces  of  which  are  fused 
together  and   with  the  carapace  ;  these  second  pieces  are  provided  on  their 


241 

inner  and  upper  borders  with  file-like  surfaces  which  produce  the  sound  by 
rubbing  against  the  smooth  parts  above  referred  to. 

Towards  evening,  whilst  walking  on  the  headland,  he  found  that  there  were 
a  great  many  of  the  large  green  grasshoppers  (Acrida  viridissima)  in  the 
tamarisk  trees  all  around,  and  that  they  were  making  the  air  quite 
lively  with  their  peculiarly  loud,  shrill,  and  continuous  noise.  [A  drawing 
of  the  insect  having  been  made  upon  the  black-board,  Professor  Stewart 
proceeded  to  explain  that  at  the  base  of  the  wing  on  one  side  there  was  a 
kind  of  ridge  which  had  a  serrated  edge  somewhat  like  a  file.]  This  dentate 
ridge  was  the  "fiddle-bow  "  which  was  the  chief  factor  in  the  production  of 
the  noise.  On  the  opposite  portion  of  the  other  wing  there  was  also  to  be 
found  a  very  clearly-defined  circular  space  covered  by  a  delicate  membrane, 
and  it  was  by  the  rubbing  of  the  bow  across  the  hard  ridges  near  this  that  the 
sound  was  produced.  Of  course  it  would  be  of  no  use  for  the  creature  to  be 
able  to  make  a  noise  unless  that  noise  could  be  appreciated  by  its  fellows,  and 
so  it  might  be  fairly  assumed  that  if  any  animal  had  a  special  apparatus  for 
making  a  noise  it  would  also  be  provided  with  a  special  apparatus  for  hear- 
ing it.  Such  an  organ  was  found  to  exist  just  below  the  knee  of  the  fore- 
leg. Now,  though  at  first  sight  it  might  seem  to  be  peculiar,  yet  it  would 
be  seen  that  after  all  this  was  not  by  any  means  a  bad  place  for  an  auditory 
apparatus  under  the  circumstances,  because,  as  this  insect,  unlike  the  other 
grasshoppers,  made  a  continuous  sound,  it  would  be  very  inconvenient  if 
the  organ  of  hearing  was  situated  near  to  that  which  produced  so  much 
noise.  Clearly,  then,  this  position  was  well  removed  from  the  source  of 
sound.  On  further  examination  it  was  found  that  in  the  po'sition  indi- 
cated there  were  two  slit-like  holes,  each  leading  to  a  cavity,  within 
which  was  found  a  kind  of  tympanic  membrane  connected  by  a  nerve 
which  could  be  traced  as  coming  from  the  first  thoracic  ganglia.  [The 
special  and  peculiar  form  of  the  nerve  terminations  was  also  drawn  upon 
the  board.]  In  the  case  of  the  common  brown  grasshopper  the  conditions 
were  somewhat  different,  for,  instead  of  a  long-sustained  noise,  the  creature 
uttered  a  series  of  short,  sharp  chirps,  with  a  very  clear  interval  between 
them,  and  therefore  they  might  expect  that  the  mechanism  of  its  audition 
would  be  adapted  to  the  circumstances.  The  sound  was  produced  by  rubbing 
the  inner  aspect  of  the  femur  of  the  hind  leg  upon  the  edge  of  the  elytron, 
and  there  was  found  upon  the  first  segment  of  the  abdomen  a  small  semi- 
lunar  slit,  which  led  into  a  little  chamber.  Inside  this  was  a  horny  ridge, 
which  occupied  nearly  half  its  diameter,  and  a  very  thin  membrane  was 
stretched  across  this,  so  that  it  very  much  resembled  the  top  of  a  tam- 
bourine. It  had  been  thought  that  this  was  an  organ  for  increasing  the 
resonance  of  the  sound,  though  he  inclined  to  the  belief  that  it  was  not  a 
sound-producer,  and  he  agreed  with  those  who  thought  that  it  was  rather  an 
organ  of  hearing.  But,  whatever  it  might  be,  it  was  certain  that  the  noise 
made  was  intermittent,  and  that  the  organ  was  perfectly  in  the  position  for 
hearing  to  advantage.  Examination  showed  that  from  the  last  thoracic 
ganglion  a  nerve  ran  directly  to  this  part,  a  fact  which  went  far  to  show 
that  the  arrangement  might  be  an  auditory  apparatus. 


242 


The  President  felt  sure  that  all  present  would  join  in  returning  their  hearty 
thanks  to  Mr.  Stewart  for  his  very  lucid  remarks  on  the  sound-producing 
and  sound-receiving  organs  of  these  grasshoppers.  It  was  rather  interest- 
ing to  know  that  the  circumstance  of  a  sound-receiving  apparatus  being 
situated  in  the  front  leg  was  not  confined  to  insects,  but  might  be  traced  in 
the  Argasidas.  Professor  Hullal,  of  Berne,  had  found  it  in  the  Persian  Argas 
(Argas  persicus). 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  Professor  Stewart 
for  his  communication. 

Mr.  Morland  said  that,  like  Mr.  Stewart,  he  had  also  just  returned  from 
his  holiday,  only  he  went  in  an  opposite  direction — to  Jutland.  Whilst 
there  he  made  inquiries  about  the  famous  diatomaceous  stone  which  had 
frequently  been  described,  but  which  appeared  to  be  very  little  known  in 
this  country.  However,  he  thought  this  would  no  longer  be  the  case,  as  he 
had  brought  over  such  a  quantity  that  he  had  to  pay  considerable  excess  on 
his  luggage.  He  had  some  of  the  material  with  him  for  distribution  to 
those  interested  in  it.  In  preparing  it  for  examination  he  had  cleansed  some 
by  dissolving  it  in  hydrochloric  acid  and  then  boiling  it  with  soda.  He 
then  treated  the  residue  with  sulphuric  acid,  and  finally  bleached  it  with 
chlorate  of  potash.  He  thought  the  material  really  came  from  a  great  depth  : 
that  which  he  had  collected  had  evidently  been  thrown  up  by  the  waves. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  returned  to  Mr.  Mor- 
land for  his  communication. 

The  President  called  attention  to  a  number  of  beautifully  executed  draw- 
ings  of  food-stuffs,  &c,  which  Mr.  Connor  had  brought  for  the  inspection  of 
the  members. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 
Eurycercus  lamellatus  ...         ...         ,.. 

Head  of  Plumed  Gnat  (Chironomus),  show- 
ing all  the  parts  in  natural  colour... 
Parasite  of  Swan  (OmithoMus  cygni)... 
Diatoms  from  Mors  Island,  Jutland     ... 
"  Cementstein"  from  Mors  Island 

Attendance — Members,  47  ;  Visitors,  2. 


I 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 


jj 


>> 


October  9th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 


The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 
Section  of  Eggshell  of  Emu     ... 
Actinosphenia  splendens 
Scotch  Heather  ... 
Zoothamtiium  arhuscnla... 
Navicula  Durrandii,  Kitton,  n.s. 
Oakapple  fly,  Andrecus  terminalis 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  E.  Carr. 
Mr.  A.  L.  Corbett. 
Mr.  C.  G.  Dunning. 
Mr.  A.  Durrand. 
Mr.  F.  Enock, 


243 

Reproductive  organs  male  earwig        ...         ...  Mr.  F.  Pitch. 

Section  of  leaf,  Coffea  arabica  ...  ...  ...  Mr.  H.  G.  Glasspoole. 

Lepidopterous  larva,  s.p.  ...         ...  ...  Mr.  W.  Goodwin. 

Fossil  polyzoa  from  the  chalk  ...         ...         ...  Mr.  W.  M.  Holmes. 

Isthmia  enervis,  and  Arachnoidiscus,  in  situ  ...  Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Hantzsckia  marina         ...         ..,         ...  ...  Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Sponges,  Echinoderms,  &c.        ...  ...         ...  Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 

Do! erite  from  Tasmania...  ...         ...  ...  Mr.  G.  Smith. 

Synedra  undulata  ...         ...  ...         ...  Mr.  C.  Upton. 

Parasites  from  Dog         Mr.  J.  Willson. 

Attendance— Members,  50;  Visitors,  3. 


>» 


October   23rd,   1885. — Ordinary  Meeting. 

A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club:— Mr.  Charles  Collins  and  Mr.  Charles  Clayton. 

The  following  additions  to  the  Library  were  announced: — 
"  The  American  Naturalist "      ...         ...  ...     In  exchange. 

"  Journal      of     the     Royal      Microscopical^) 

Society"  ...  ...  ) 

Braithwaite's  "  British  Moss  Flora,"  Part  IX...     From  the  Author. 

The  Secretary  read  a  letter  received  from  the  Secretary  of  the  Croydon 
Microscopical  Society,  inviting  the  co-operation  of  members  of  the  Club  at 
the  16th  Annual  Soiree  of  the  Society  to  be  held  at  the  Public  Hall,  Croydon, 
on  November  18th. 

The  President  said  he  had  brought  to  the  meeting  for  exhibition  a  slide 
which  he  thought  might  be  of  some  interest  from  its  comparative  rarity, 
being  the  larval  form  of  Antedon  rosaceus,  known  as  Pentacrinus  Europceus. 
There  appeared  to  be  some  difficulty  in  finding  it,  and  he  was 
rather  astonished  to  hear  that  the  Secretary  of  the  Penzance  Natural 
History  Society,  who  was  formerly  a  member  of  this  Club,  had  not 
been  successful  in  doing  so.  Mr.  Thompson,  to  whose  researches  they 
were  indebted  for  most  of  their  knowledge  on  the  subject,  and  also 
Sir  Wyville  Thompson,  stated  that  they  had  found  it  upon  seaweed, 
but  he  had  not  been  successful  himself  in  finding  it  there,  except  in 
occasional  instances,  his  mode  of  obtaining  it  being  from  the  crab-pots 
which  were  used  by  the  fishermen  off  the  coast  of  Cornwall.  These  pots 
were  tolerably  large  wicker  frames,  which,  when  intended  for  use  in  a  wild 
sea,  were  made  larger  and  stronger  than  usual,  so  that  those  in  use  at  the 
place  he  had  mentioned  were  about  three  feet  in  diameter,  and  were  loaded 
with  about  a  hundredweight  of  granite.  They  were  baited  with  fish,  and 
were  then  tied  together  in  strings  of  from  8  to  15,  according  to  the  size  of 
the  boat  which  was  to  carry  them.    They  were  then  taken  out  for  a  mile  or 


244 

more  from  the  shore  and  simply  flung  into  the  sea  with  about  80  yards  of 
rope  between  each  pot,  and  three  or  four  buoys  with  a  long  rope  to  them  at 
each  end  of  the  string.  The  buoys  disappeared  in  the  water,  but  the  men 
got  the  position  by  a  rough  and  ready  method  of  sight-lines  from  objects  on 
shore,  and  at  the  turn  of  the  tide  the  pots  were  found  again  without  much 
difficulty  ;  and  if  the  collector  went  out  in  a  crab-boat  for  the  purpose  of  ob- 
taining  Commatulce,  it  would  perhaps  happen  that  seven  out  of  eight  pots 
which  were  hauled  up  would  be  without  a  specimen  upon  them,  whilst 
others  might  be  covered  with  them,  and  thus  at  the  proper  time  of  year  the 
larva?  would  be  found  in  abundance.  It  needed  a  good  sailor,  however,  to 
go  out  to  collect  them  in  the  boats  in  this  way,  as  he  had  done.  But  by- 
and-bye  there  would  come  a  time  when  these  pots  had  to  be  brought  ashore 
to  be  mended,  and  then  occurred  one  of  the  best  opportunities  for  the  col- 
lector, although  the  specimens  thus  obtained  were  not  always  found  in  the 
best  condition.  He  got  the  men  to  let  him  know  when  a  lot  of  deep-sea  pots 
were  going  to  be  brought  home,  and  one  of  the  results  of  his  examination  of 
them  was  the  slide  which  he  had  brought  down  that  evening.  The  President 
then  proceeded  to  show,  by  means  of  drawings  on  the  black  board,  the 
general  strncture  and  progressive  development  of  this  organism,  pointing 
out  that  it  began  its  life  as  a  free  swimming  larva,  ciliated,  and  in  many 
respects  resembling  the  Annelids  ;  that  the  mouth  developed  from  the  front 
end  and  the  stalk  from  the  hinder  portion,  which  was  formed  of  five  basal 
plates,  the  front  being  similarly  furnished  with  five  oral  plates,  and  a  circle 
of  radial  plates  being  then  developed  between  the  other  two,  all  these 
plates,  even  at  this  early  stage,  had  the  typical  Echinoderm  structure. 
Brachial  plates  started  from  the  radial  plates  and  the  tentacles  or  claspers 
curved  down  from  the  central  dorsal  plate.  After  becoming  fully  developed, 
the  head  broke  away  from  the  stalk,  and  became  the  beautiful  free  swim- 
ming Commatula,  which  was  however  more  usually  found  hanging  firmly 
on  to  the  pots  by  means  of  its  claspers.  It  might  quite  properly  be 
thought  of  as  a  star  fish  upside  down.  At  one  time  it  was  usual  to  regard 
the  Pentacrinus  form  as  the  perfect  creature. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  said  that  he  had  brought  to  the  meeting  for  distribution 
some  of  the  small  winged  seeds  of  Paulownia  imperialis ;  the  packet  con- 
tained sufficient  for  all  the  members  present  who  liked  to  take  them  at  the 
close  of  the  meeting. 

He  also  read  short  communications  "  On  a  new  species  of  British 
Vaucheria"  and  "On  Palmodacttjlon  Subramosum?  a  photo-micrograph  of 
the  latter  (X  60)  being  handed  round  for  inspection. 

The  President  invited  remarks  upon  these  subjects,  observing  that  it  was 
clear  from  what  they  had  heard  that,  although  things  might  have  been 
looked  for  as  carefully  as  the  Algse  had  been  searched,  there  was  still 
opportunity  for  a  first-class  collector  to  make  new  discoveries  amongst 
them. 

A  short  communication  from  Mr.  T.  Spenser  Smithson,  "  On  an  unusual 
form  of  tube  made  by  Melicerta  ringens,"  was  then  read  by  the  Secretary. 

The  President  thought  that  there  was  some  uncertainty  in  this  case  as  to 


245 

■whether  the  variation  resulted  from  the  fact  that  the  trough  did  not  con- 
tain suitable  matter  for  building,  but  only  some  kind  of  flocculent  matter 
likely  to  swell,  or  whether  it  was  a  variety  as  to  the  building  of  the  tube 
It  was  a  matter  of  frequent  observation  that,  in  spite  of  the  extreme 
regularity  of  the  tube  under  ordinary  circumstances,  it  did  vary  considerably 
in  confinement,  because  the  creature  was  then  obliged  to  use  such  material 
as  it  could  get. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  authors  of  the  various  com- 
munications. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made, 
and  the  meeting  concluded  with  the  usual  Conversazione. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Melicertatyro      ...  ...         ...  ...  ...  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Nettle  bug,  Capsvs  capillaris  (pupa)   ...  ...  Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Moth  (Tinea),  from  Cacao  bean  ...  ...  Mr.  H.  Epps. 

Melicerta  cephalosiphon ...  Mr.  E.  K.  Jaques. 

jf  ivTLytsilo  •••  •*.  ■•■  •»#  jy 

Crinoid   larva   of  Antedon   rosaceus  (Penta-1      ,r      .    t-.   ,r.  ,      , 
_                                           v  }      Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 

crinus  kuropceus)    ...  ) 

Cocconeis,  n.s Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson.    . 

Pisciola  geometrina         ..  Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Section  of  carboniferous  limestone  containing") 

Foraminifera  from  Stafford  ...         ...         j 

Crystallized  silver  Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Head  of  White  Ant  Mr.  J.  Willson. 

Attendance — Members,  46 ;  Visitors,  5. 


November  13th,  1885.— Conversational  Meeting. 

The  President  having  called  the  attention  of  the  members,  said  that  since  the 
last  meeting  the  Club  had  suffered  a  great  loss  in  the  death  of  Dr.  Wm.  B. 
Carpenter — a  death  rendered  more  sad  by  the  circumstances  under  which  it 
had  occurred.  No  name  was  more  intimately  connected  with  the  progress 
of  microscopical  science  in  this  country  than  that  of  Dr.  Carpenter,  whose 
well-known  work  on  the  microscope  had  passed  through  so  many  editions, 
and  was  still  the  leading  English  treatise  upon  the  subject,  and  was  probably 
in  the  library  of  almost  every  man  in  the  room.  Dr.  Carpenter's  name  was 
not  known  in  connection  with  microscopy  only,  but  equally  in  the  depart- 
ments ot  physiology,  and  comparative  biology.  Throughout  his  life  he  had 
been  a  steady  and  industrious  worker,  and  few  men  had  left  behind  them 
more  substantial  proofs  of  the  wide  and  constant  nature  of  their  scientific 
labours  than  he  had. 

The  Quekett  Club  would  feel  his  loss  all  the  more  acutely  on  account  of 
the  very  late  period  at  which  he  had  been  their  President ;  indeed,  but  for 
his  failing  health  he  would  have  filled  the  chair  up  to  the  time  of  his  death, 


Mr.  G.  Smith. 


246 

and,  although  he  had  retired  from  office,  he  was  engaged  at  that  very  period 
in  negotiations  for  the  benefit  of  the  Club. 

The  President  then  put  from  the  chair  the  following  resolution,  which  had 
previously  been  passed  by  the  Committee : — "  That  the  members  of  the 
Quekett  Microscopical  Club  desire  to  record  their  deep  sorrow  for  the  death 
of  their  late  accomplished  President,  Dr.  Wm.  B.  Carpenter,  and  to  express 
their  sympathy  with  his  family  in  the  loss  they  have  sustained,  and  their  con- 
viction that  although  Dr.  Carpenter  has  passed  away,  his  world-wide  reputa- 
tion  as  one  of  the  most  eminent  in  microscopy  and  physiology  will  long 
survive  him." 

This  resolution  was  unanimously  passed  by  the  members. 
The  following  objects  were  exhibited : — 

Lucernia  auricula        Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Spiracle  and  trachea  of  silkworm      Mr.  C.  Collins,  jun. 

Coral  from  Singapore Mr.  A.  Durrand. 

Head  of  Culex pipiens,  showing  antennaa  in  ,      »j-    ™  ^noc^ 

their  natural  form  and  colour     ...  $ 

Section  of  Cementstein,  from  Mors,  Jutland.    Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Diatoms,  with  dark  ground  and  binocular  ,      ™     -g  -^   kelson. 

Stentor  polymorphus Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Parasite  of  Vulture     Mr.  A.  Tipple. 

Pleurosigma  angulation  ...     Mr.  C.  Upton. 

Type  slide  of  Holothuridce     Mr.  W.  Watson. 

T.  V.  section  of  Bignonia       Mr.  J.  Willson. 

Attendance — Members,  53  ;  Visitors,  4. 


November  27th,  1885. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  President  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club:— -Mr.  F.  Harris,  Mr.  F.  G.  Lloyd,  and  Mr.  G.  T.  Stevenson. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced: — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  of  New  South  ,     In  exckange# 

Wales"        > 

"  American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal  "         ...     „         „ 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Geologists'  Association  "        ...     ,,         „ 
"  The  American  Naturalist "  ...         ...         ...         ...     „  „ 

1  Proceedings  of  the  Belgian  Microscopical  Society  "     „         „ 


Transactions  and  Report  of  the  Eastbourne 
Natural  History  Society ''  


"  Pritchard's  Microscopic  Objects  " From  Mr.  Crisp. 

Two  Slides— 1,  Section  of  Jutland  Cement  Stone;.  Mr>  Morjail(j, 

2,  Coscinodiscus,  from  ditto         ...         ...  > 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  donors. 


247 

The  Secretary  said  that  a  member  of  the  Club  had  placed  in  his  hand 
the  card  of  Mr.  Webb,  of  Albany,  AVestern  Australia,  who,  he  said,  could  be 
strongly  recommended  as  a  collector  of  natural  history  specimens  in  that 
Colonj\  He  mentioned  the  matter  knowing  how  valuable  it  sometimes  was 
to  know  of  a  person  who  could  be  relied  upon  in  the  event  of  his  services 
being  required. 

Mr.  Nelson  exhibited  and  described  a  new  aplanatic  lens,  recently  made 
by  Zeiss,  of  Jena. 

The  President  said  he  had  the  opportunity  of  seeing  those  lenses  a  short 
time  ago,  and  was  greatly  pleased  with  their  performance.  The  field  was 
extremely  large  and  flat,  and  the  focus  was  much  longer  than  that  of  lenses 
of  ordinary  construction. 

Mr.  Nelson  then  read  a  short  note  "On  a  New  Method  of  Equalising  the 
Thickness  of  Slips  of  Glass  for  use  with  Immersion  Condensers,"  and  also  a 
paper  "  On  Microscopical  Antiquities,"  illustrated  by  numerous  diagrams 
of  the  various  types  of  the  early  forms  of  microscope. 

Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy  said  he  had  brought  down  the  old  instrument  referred  to 
by  Mr.  Nelson,  at  his  request,  but  he  had  not  used  it  so  as  to  ascertain  its 
capabilities.     It  was  a  beautiful  piece  of  brass  wotk. 

Mr.  Karop  said  it  seemed  a  most  extraordinary  thing,  on  looking  at  the 
illustrations  before  them,  to  observe  with  what  facility  makers  seemed  to 
devise  mechanical  figments  to  be  added  to  the  microscope  with  no  possible 
advantage  to  the  worker.  The  French  and  Germans  adhered  to  the  simple 
forms  much  more  than  the  English  did,  and  it  was  only  necessary  to  look  at 
one  of  those  instruments  of  the  Varley  type  to  see  that  it  was  filled  up  as 
far  as  possible  with  racks,  and  pinions,  and  screws,  and  caps,  until  it  seemed 
as  if  the  object  was  to  prevent  its  use  as  a  microscope  as  far  as  possible.  It 
was  really  quite  curious  to  see  the  diabolical  ingenuity  of  mechanism  in- 
troduced into  some  of  the  most  modern  specimens. 

The  President  said  that  he  was  sure  they  would  feel  that  their  best  thanks 
were  due  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  his"  very  interesting  and  welcome  paper,  which 
had  afforded  them  a  great  deal  of  information,  and  had  certainly  involved 
a  great  deal  of  research.  The  paper  would  have  been  of  value  to  them  for 
its  antiquarian  interest  alone,  but  apart  from  that  it  had  almost  a  greater 
interest,  because  it  showed  them  the  various  stages  in  the  growth  of  the 
instrument  with  which  they  worked,  and  it  taught  them  how  the  wants  of  the 
workers  had  become  gradually  felt,  and  what  steps  had  been  formulated  by 
men  of  intelligence  gradually  to  meet  those  wants.  The  consideration  of 
these  wants,  and  the  way  in  which  they  had  been  met,  might  have  a  yet 
further  value  as  a  possible  guide  to  what  might  probably  be  the  course  to  be 
taken  in  the  future — for  by  showing  them  in  what  way  men  got  over  the 
very  serious  difficulties  which  involved  the  growth  of  the  microscope,  they 
might  to  some  degree  be  guided  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued  in  the  case  of 
instruments  which  had  not  reached  the  perfection  to  which  the  microscope 
had  been  brought  in  the  present  day. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  his  communica. 
tions. 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  14.  w 


248 


Mr.  Henry  Davis  read  a  paper  "On  some  Further  Notes  on  the  Dessication 
of  Rotifers."     Specimens  of  dried  mud  containing  Philodina  roseola  were 
offered  to  those  members  who  cared  to  apply  for  them. 

The  thanks  of  the   meeting  were,  upon    the  motion  of  the   President, 
unanimously  voted  to  Mr.  Davis  for  his  very  interesting  paper. 

The    President  announced    that  in   consequence  of  the  4th   Friday   in 
December  falling  this  year  on  Christmas  Day,  their  ordinary  meeting  for 
that  month  would  be  omitted — so  that  their  next  ordinary  meeting  would 
not  take  place  until  January. 

The  proceedings  then  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione. 
The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Spirorbisnautiloid.es       ...         ...  ...  ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Section  of  Cementstein...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  W.  J.  Brown. 

Head  of  Silkworm        ...         ...         ...  ...     Mr.  C.  Collins. 

Rotifers,  Philodina  roseola  dried  and  re-animated   Mr.  H.  Davis. 
Selected  Foraminifera,  from  Singapore  ...     Mr.  A.  Durrand. 

Plumed  gnat,  Tanypus  zonatus  Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Ovipositor  and  sheath  of  Phalangium  Opilio     Mr.  F.  Fitch. 

Aquatic  worm      

Head  of  Cysticercus,  from  Hare  

A  Cuthbert-Amici    Microscope,     dated    1827 


Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  W.Watson. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 


Attendance — Members,  55  ;  Visitors,  8. 


December  11th,  1885. — Conversational  Meeting. 


The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 
Fairy  shrimps.  Chirocephalus  diaphanus 
Chelifer  muscorum 
Cows  Chervel,  Charophyllum    ... 
Head  of  tree   spider,  Philodromus,  showing  ) 


eight  eyes,  nat.  colour 


J 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  C.  Collins,  jun. 
Mr.  A.  L.  Corbett. 

Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 


Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 


Abnormal   concretion  on  the  surface  of  an  t 

egg  shell        ...         ...         ...         ...  ^ 

Type  slide  of  selected  diatoms,  from  Mors) 

Island,  Jutland        ...         ...         ...  •* 

Tegenaria  atrica  (male)  ... 

Krachnoidiscus  ornatus,  with  ±  objective  and  >      -*r     ^   ™  ^  , 

dark  ground...  ...  ...         ...  J 

Pikrite,  from  Gumbelberg  Nassau        Mr.  G.  Smith. 

Spines  of  Echinus  Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Attendance — Members,  48  ;  Visitors,  8. 


249 


V 


Note   on   a   New  Form  of  Live  Box  or   Zoophyte   Trough. 

By  C.  G\  Dunning. 

(Read  January  22nd,  1886.) 
Fig.  13. 


Fig.  14. 


Fig.  15. 


r~ 


All  who  have  occasion  to  work  with,  the  ordinary  forms  of 
zoophyte  trough  are  aware  of  the  difficulty  and  the  risk  of 
breakage  there  is  in  cleaning  them,  more  especially  with  the 
shallower  forms. 

The  apparatus  shown  above  is  designed  with  the  view  of 
overcoming  this  difficulty. 

Fig.  13  is  a  plan  view  of  the  trough  with  the  cover  removed, 
Fig.  14  a  similar  view  of  the  cover,  and  Fig.  15  a  longitudinal 
section  of  the  trough  through  the  centre  of  figure  13. 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  15.  x 


250  C.    G.    DUNNING    ON    A    NEW    FORM    OF    LIVE    BOX. 

The  lower  plate,  or  trough  proper,  is  made  of  metal,  or 
some  other  suitable  material,  3  inches  long,  1|  inches  wide,  and 
about  t!q-  inch  thick,  with  an  oval  or  oblong  perforation  in  the 
centre,  and  the  under-side  is  recessed  as  indicated  by  the  dotted 
lines.  In  this  recess  is  fixed  by  means  of  Canada  balsam,  or 
shellac,  a  piece  of  stout  covering  glass,  forming  the  bottom 
of  the  cell ;  the  recess  being  sufficiently  deep  to  prevent  the 
thin  glass  bottom  from  coming  into  actual  contact  with  the 
stage  of  the  microscope,  or  with  the  table  when  it  is  not  in  use. 
Two  pins  are  provided  near  the  bottom  edge  of  the  cell. 

The  cover  (Fig.  14)  is  formed  of  a  piece  of  thin  brass 
rather  shorter  than  the  trough,  but  about  the  same  width ; 
it  has  an  opening  formed  in  it  to  correspond  with  that  in  the 
trough,  and  under  this  opening  is  cemented  a  piece  of  cover 
glass.  The  cover  plate  is  notched  out  at  the  two  bottom 
corners,  and  at  the  two  top  corners  are  formed  a  couple  of  pro- 
jecting ears. 

In  order  to  use  this  apparatus  it  must  be  laid  flat  upon  the 
table,  and  filled  quite  full  of  water.  The  object  to  be  examined 
is  then  placed  in  the  cell,  and  maybe  properly  arranged  therein  ; 
the  cover  is  then  lowered  gently  down,  the  two  notches  at  the 
bottom  edges  being  first  placed  against  the  pins ;  in  this  way 
the  superfluous  water  will  be  driven  out,  and  the  whole 
apparatus  may  be  wiped  dry.  The  capillary  attraction, 
assisted  by  the  weight  of  the  cover,  will  be  found  sufficient  to 
prevent  any  leakage ;  and  the  pins  at  the  bottom  prevent  the 
cover  from  sliding  down  when  the  microscope  is  inclined. 

Although  there  is,  of  course,  no  supply  of  air,  I  have  had 
Vorticella,  zoophytes,  &c,  under  observation  for  more  than  two 
hours  at  a  time,  without  any  change  or  renewal  of  the  water ; 
but  even  if  it  should  be  deemed  necessary  to  introduce  a  fresh 
supply,  it  can  easily  be  done  by  carefully  lifting  the  cover  by 
the  two  ears  at  the  top,  and  making  the  addition  by  the  aid  of 
a  pipette. 

The  apparatus  is  intended  more  especially  for  use  as  a 
shallow  cell,  with  moderately  high  powers,  but  its  depth  may 
be  readily  increased  by  means  of  an  intermediate  trough,  either 
of  metal  or  ebonite,  which  may  be  inserted  between  the  trough 
and  the  cover,  and  will  be  found  to  be  quite  free  from  leakage. 

The  area  of  the  cell  as  above  described  is  rather  large,  as 


C.    G.    DUNNING    ON    A    NEW    FORM    OF    LIVE    BOX.  251 

being  more  convenient  for  zoophytes,  &c,  but  should  it  be 
thought  desirable  to  restrict  the  movements  of  a  lively  object, 
such  as  an  Ephemera  larva,  it  is  only  necessary  to  select  a  glass 
ring  a  little  thinner  than  the  depth  of  the  cell,  place  it  in  the 
centre,  and  fill  the  whole  cell  "with  water.  The  object  may  then 
be  placed  within  the  ring,  and  the  cover  applied  as  before 
stated. 


X 


252 


On  Spongilla  fragilis  found  in  the  Thames. 
By  B.  W.  Priest. 

(Bead  January  22nd,  1886.) 
Plate  XV. 

In  November,  1882,  I  had  the  honour  of  reading  a  paper  to 
yon  on  the  Statoblasts  of  the  Fresh-water  Sponges,  at  the  same 
time,  as  you  will  recollect,  enumerating  the  different  species 
then  known,  but  I  was  not  aware  of  the  numerous  Fresh-water 
Sponges  which  were  being  found  and  classified,  in  the  United 
States,  by  Messrs.  Potts,  Mills,  and  Thomas.  Through  the  kind- 
ness of  Mr.  Crisp,  I  was  brought  into  communication  with  Mr. 
Thomas,  of  Chicago,  who  was  most  generous  in  supplying  me 
with  several  of  the  species  met  with  in  America. 

Among  those  sent  was  one  which  forms  the  subject  of  the 
present  communication,  viz.,  Spongilla  fragilis,  so  named  by 
Professor  Leidy,  but  previously  and  first  made  known  by  Mr.  J. 
K.  Lord,  who  found  it  in  Lake  Osogoos,  and  other  lakes  and 
rivers,  tributaries  to  the  Columbia  River,  on  the  Eastern  slopes 
of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  about  6,000  feet  above  the  level  of 
the  sea.  Out  of  compliment  to  the  discoverer,  the  late  Dr. 
Bowerbank  named  it  Spongilla  Lordii,  the  type  specimen  of 
which  is,  I  believe,  in  the  Natural  History  Museum,  South 
Kensington.  I  can  find  no  record  of  its  being  found  again 
until  Professor  Leidy  met  with  it.  Dr.  Bowerbank  had  pre- 
dicted that  it  might  be  found  one  day  in  the  United  States,  as 
he  had  observed  fragments  of  similar  spicules  in  the  infusorial 
earth  collected  and  sent  to  him  from  that  quarter. 

The  Sponge  itself  is  sessile,  coating  and  encrusting  stones 
and  pieces  of  wood  and  weeds ;  structure  fragile — hence  the 
name  given  by  Professor  Leidy — crumbling  so  much  that  where 
there  is  a  dashing  of  water,  as  on  the  banks  of  the  river,  most 
of  the  skeleton,  according  to  Mr.  Mills,  of  Buffalo,  is  washed 
away,  leaving  in  many  cases  the  statoblasts  in  a  bare  continu- 


W.    B.    PRIEST    ON    SPOXGILLA    FRAGILIS.  253 

ous  layer.  Oscula  simple,  dispersed,  pores  inconspicuous. 
Colour  light  brown  to  green.  Skeleton  spicule,  acerate,  some- 
times curved,  fusiform,  gradually  sharp-pointed,  smooth  and 
sometimes  inflated  in  the  centre.  Statoblasts  somewhat  bottle- 
shaped,  congregated  on  the  basal  membrane  beneath  the  sponge, 
with  the  aperture  upwards,  chitinous  coat  hemispheroidal, 
aperture  prolonged  by  a  short  tubular  extension,  the  chitinous 
coat  being  of  a  dark  amber  colour,  covered  by  a  thin  granular 
crust,  with  small  curved  or  fusiform  cylindrical,  entirely  spined 
spicules,  the  basal  membrane  abundantly  sjriniferous  and  of  the 
same  form  as  those  covering  the  statoblasts,  those  on  the  stato- 
blasts being  arranged  more  or  less  tangentially. 

Now  for  the  subject  of  this  communication.  Up  to  the 
present  time  only  two  species  of  fresh-water  Sponges  have  been 
recognised  in  England,  viz.,  Meyenia  fiuviatilis  and  Spongilla 
lacustris,  the  former  having  the  crust  of  its  statoblasts  charged 
with  birotulate  spicules,  one  end  resting  on  the  chitinous  coat 
and  the  other  protruding  more  or  less  on  the  surface,  the  other 
species  having  curved,  minute,  stout,  fusiform,  spined  spicules 
arranged  tangentially  on  the  statoblasts.  Of  course  we  have 
several  so-called  varieties  of  the  same,  which  to  my  mind  are 
only  caused  by  the  variations  of  surrounding  circumstances, 
such  as  the  slow  or  rapid  flow  of  the  water,  with  the  different 
amount  of  light  and  shade,  accompanied  by  changes  of  tempera- 
ture, all  of  which  conditions  must  influence  the  development 
and  colour  of  the  Sponges  to  a  great  degree. 

On  the  fourth  of  September  of  last  year  I  went  to  Shepper- 
ton,  walking  over  to  Walton-on-Thames,  and  in  one  of  the  back 
waters,  called,  I  am  told,  Walton  Sale,  growing  on  the  sub- 
merged roots  and  branches  of  the  willow  trees  overhanging  the 
stream,  I  collected  a  quantity  of  very  good  typical  specimens  of 
both  species.  On  examining  what  I  had  collected  the  next 
morning,  I  discovered  about  an  inch  of  a  branch,  on  which  some 
Sponge  had  developed  an  incrustation,  and  on  examining  it 
under  the  microscope,  it  proved  to  be  Spongilla  fragilis,  one  layer 
of  statoblasts  partly  overlying  the  other,  and  partially  covered 
with  Meyenia  fiuviatilis.  It  answered  exactly  to  the  description 
I  have  just  now  given  of  that  species,  also  described  by  Mr. 
Mills,  in  having  only  a  very  small  portion  of  the  Sponge  struc- 
ture remaining,  leaving  the  statoblasts  in  a  more  or  less  con- 


254  W.    B.    PRIEST    ON    SPONGILliA    FRAGILIS. 

tinuous  layer,  the  species  being  infested  with  innumerable 
enemies,  which  devour  the  sarcode  and  other  living  portions 
of  the  sponge. 

Now  the  question  is,  whether  Spongilla  fragilis  is  to  be 
accounted  a  British  Species,  or  has  it  simply  got  into  the  Thames 
by  accident  ?  I  do  not  profess  that  the  sponge  is  entirely  new 
to  England,  as  it  was  found,  for  the  first  time  in  1884,  by  Mr. 
Stewart  Ridley,  of  the  British  Museum,  in  the  River  Wye.  Per- 
haps, as  we,  as  a  nation,  are  becoming  very  much  Americanised, 
the  Wye  and  the  Thames  have  caught  the  infection.  At  any 
rate,  it  has  now  been  found  in  two  of  our  rivers,  and  I  am  in- 
clined to  the  belief  that  other  species  will  be  found  if  sought 
for,  from  the  fact  that  a  number  of  fresh-water  deposits  contain- 
ing sponge  spicules  have  been  met  with,  belonging  to  species  as 
yet  undescribed,  and  noticed  even  as  far  back  as  Ehrenberg's 
time. 

No  record  of  Spongilla  fragilis  being  found  in  the  Thames 
until  now,  I  thought  this  communication  would  be  appreciated 
by  those  members  of  the  Club  who  are  interested,  like  myself, 
in  sponge  lore. 

Perhaps  I  may  mention  that  since  writing  this  communica- 
tion I  have  received  some  more  Fresh-water  sponges  from  Mr. 
Thomas,  of  Chicago,  and  he  calls  my  attention  to  one  packet 
containing  Spongilla  fragilis,  in  which  the  statoblasts  are 
more  or  less  in  a  compound  or  grouped  state.  On  examining 
the  Thames  specimen  I  found  several  statoblasts  in  that  condi- 
tion. 

Explanation  of  Plate  XV. 

Fig.  1.  Statoblasts  of   Spongilla  fragilis  as  they  appear  in  situ. 
Fig.  2.  A   Statoblast    isolated    from   the    mass  showing   the   flask-like 
shape. 

Fig.  3.  Spicule  of  statoblast  and  basal  membrane. 

Fig.  4.  Skeleton  spicule. 

Fig.  5.  The  grouped  or  compound  form  of  statoblasts. 


Joui 


<c: 


V6L.2.P]  YN 


^ 


1l^ 


255 


V 


Some  Remarks  on  the  Interpretation  of  Microscopic  Images 

with  High  Powers. 

By  E.  M.  Nelson. 

(Read   January  22nd,  1SS6.J 

The  answers  to  biological  questions,  or  the  keys  to  Natural 
History  puzzles,  as  they  may  be  appropriately  called,  are, 
thanks  to  the  improvements  in  the  microscope,  becoming  more 
minute  every  day.  The  inch  and  half -inch  objectives  have 
unlocked  many  of  Nature's  hard  enigmas,  but  as  the  ground  is 
being  worked  over  by  higher  powers  there  is  less  left  within 
their  range. 

It  is  with  guns  such  as  the  wide-angled  oil  y1^  that  we  must 
pound  away  at  Nature's  citadels  if  we  wish  to  capture  her 
strongholds.  The  interpretation  of  a  microscopic  image  under 
an  inch  or  half-inch  presents  but  little  difficulty,  but  in  the  use 
of  lenses  such  as  the  wide-angled  oil  T^-,  two  questions  have  to 
be  answered  before  you  can  satisfy  yourself  that  your  interpre- 
tation of  the  image  is  correct.  These  are  :  (1)  Is  the  object  pre- 
cisely in  the  focus  of  the  objective  ?  (2)  Is  the  lens  in  perfect 
adjustment  ? 

It  is  well  known  that  slight  variations  in  either  focus  or 
adjustment,  or  both,  will  produce  a  marked  effect  on  the 
resultant  picture.  There  cannot  be,  therefore,  two  more 
important  questions  for  the  microscopist  of  to-day  than :  What 
is  focus  ?     What  is  adjustment  ? 

The  difficulty  in  solving  these  questions  will  depend  largely 
on  the  kind  of  object  under  examination. 

Bacteria,  stained  and  mounted  in  balsam,  form  a  class  of 
objects  which,  perhaps,  offers  fewer  obstacles  than  any  other  to 
the  solution  of  these  questions,  hence  they  are  suitable  for  test 
objects.  Even  with  these  easy  objects  some  discussion  has 
taken  place  with  regard  to  the  interpretation  of  the  image. 
There  are  those  who  say,  that  a  certain  bacillum  consists  of  a 
number  of  elongated  spores  within  a  cylindrical  hyaline  sheath ; 


256  E.    M.    NELSON    ON    THE    INTERPRETATION    Otf 

others  that  it  resembles  a  string  of  sausages  with  constrictions 
in  it.  This  difference  in  the  interpretation  of  the  images  of 
the  same  object  is  mainly  to  be  accounted  for  by  variations  in 
focus  and  adjustment.  If  such  differences  are  present  in  these 
comparatively  easy  objects,  we  may  expect  to  find  them  greatly 
increased  when  vieA\ ing  objects  that  present  greater  difficulties 
in  the  determination  of  focus  and  adjustment. 

Sucli  are  diatoms,  owing  probably  to  the  transparency  of  the 
silex  of  which  they  are  composed.  To  find  the  truth  of  this 
one  has  only  to  turn  to  the  extensive  literature  on  what  may  be 
termed  "  the  resolution  of  the  markings  on  the  diatomacea?," 
and  he  will  find  such  expressions  as  striae,  checks,  areola?, 
puncta?,  white  dots,  black  dots,  hemispherules,  pearls,  beads, 
etc.,  used  to  denote  the  same  thing.  Now  let  us  take  the 
Pleurosigma  formosum,  and,  setting  aside  the  stria?  and 
diamond-shaped  markings  as  quite  exploded  things  of  the 
past,  apply  ourselves  to  the  consideration  of  the  more  recent 
interpretations.  There  are  two  kinds  of  markings  which  we 
shall  have  to  discuss  thoroughly.  I  name  these  the  white  dot, 
and  the  black  dot.  The  white  dot  is  usually  accepted  as  the 
critical  image  of  this,  and  other  diatoms. 

To  show  that  this  is  so,  let  me  refer  you  to  the  photograph 
of  Navicula  rJiomboides  by  Dr.  Woodward,  copied  in  the 
"Monthly  Microscopical  Journal'  for  May,  1876;  also  to  his 
photograph  of  Pleurosigma  angulatum,  copied  in  Dr.  Van 
Heurck's  "  Synopsis."  Both  these  show  the  pearls,  beads, 
hemispherules,  or  what  I  have  called  the  white  dots.  I 
endeavoured  to  show  that  these  appearances  were  erroneous,  at 
the  demonstration  I  gave  here  on  March  14th,  1884,  but  could 
not,  for  want  of  time,  go  into  the  matter  at  sufficient  length ; 
I  hope  you  will  pardon  me  therefore,  for  again  referring  to  it. 
When  examining  a  P.  formosum,  in  balsam,  with  the  black  dot 
resolution,  I  noticed  that  one  or  two  of  the  dots  were  very  pale. 
It  appeared  as  if  those  identical  dots,  or  hemispherules  had  been 
removed,  leaving  the  plain  silex  underneath.  On  changing  the 
resolution  for  that  of  the  white  dot  I  found  all  the  dots  equally 
perfect.  I  could  not  tell  where  the  damaged  beads  were 
situated.  There  is  not  a  shadow  of  doubt  in  my  mind  as  to 
which  of  the  two  is  the  truer  picture.  The  black  dot  which 
differentiates  between  one  or  two  of  the  markings  and  the  rest 


Microscopic  images  with  high  powers.  257 

must  of  necessity  be  a  truer  picture  than  that  which  shows 
them  all  as  being  precisely  similar.  I  was  very  much  struck 
on  first  noticing  this  differentiation.  I  carefully  noted  the 
valve,  and  the  part  of  the  valve,  where  it  occurred.  I  have 
spent,  now,  upwards  of  five  years  working  at  this  same  spot,  to 
see  if  I  could  get  any  elucidation  as  to  the  cause  of  these 
appearances.  My  work  was  not  without  reward,  for  by 
increasing  the  angle  of  my  axial  illuminating  cone,  I  found  that 
the  black  round  dot  appearance  gave  place  to  a  reddish  square 
hole  in  the  silex.  The  dot  that  was  missing  showed  that  that 
hole  had  been  filled  up  or  coated  over  with  silex.  Afterwards 
I  saw  a  spicule  of  silex  sticking  into  one  of  the  perforations. 
Latterly  I  have  discovered  a  very  minute  bar  of  silex  stretch- 
ing across  one  of  the  perforations,  dividing  it  into  two  nearly 
equal  portions.  This  constitutes  probably  the  smallest,  as  well 
as  the  most  difficult,  point  of  detail  I  have  ever  seen  with  the 
microscope.  The  apertures  count  24,000  per  inch  in  one  direc- 
tion, and  29,100  in  the  other  direction.  To  find  the  size  of  a 
single  aperture  is  a  more  difficult  matter.  If  you  measure 
it  by  the  wire  micrometer  the  thickness  of  the  wire  renders 
it  difficult  to  see  the  edge  of  the  hole.  By  this  means,  how- 
ever, I  got  a  measurement  of  -553  015-  incn-  I  estimate  that  the 
diameter  of  the  hole  is  about  equal  to  the  thickness  of  the  inter- 
vening silex.     This  would  give  ^-g^o  inch  as  the  diameter. 

The  thickness  of  the  bar  has  been  estimated  at  ~  of  the 
diameter  of  the  hole.  Taking  the  largest  measurement  of  this, 
viz.,  ^53o~o  inch,  would  give  -^tVo^o  inch  as  the  thickness  of  the 
bar.  I  have  lately  very  carefully  re-examined  this  object  with 
the  view  of  estimating  its  size,  and  I  feel  confident  that  this 
measurement,  if  it  errs  at  all,  is,  if  anything,  too  large. 

I  have  previously  given  it  as  my  opinion  that  the  P. 
formosum  was  composed  of  a  square  grating,  but  since  my 
discovery  of  the  bar  I  have  modified  those  views.  I  now  know 
that  I  was  taking  too  deep  a  focus,  and  I  am  of  opinion  that  the 
perforations  are  circular,  or  nearly  so,  on  the  exterior  surface  of 
the  valve,  and  that  they  cone  off  to  a  square  grating  on  the 
under  surface  ;  in  other  words  they  are  funnel-shaped,  with  the 
small  end  of  the  funnel  circular  and  towards  the  exterior  of 
the  valve,  the  large  and  square-shaped  end  towards  the  interior. 

Some  will  say  that  all  this  is  a  work  of  supererogation,  the 


258        E.  M.  NELSON  ON  THE  INTERPRETATION  OF 

proper  method  being  the  examination  of  diatoms  such  as 
Triceratitim,  etc.,  in  section.  To  this  I  reply  that  diatoms  are 
of  two  kinds,  those  possessing  a  single  structure  and  those 
which  have  two.  The  Pleurosigma,  Navicula,  Schizonema,  etc., 
belong  to  the  first  class.  They  are  boxes  formed  by  a  very 
delicate  silicious  perforated  membrane.  I  look  on  the  median 
line  as  a  girder  to  strengthen  the  delicate  membrane.  All 
these  kinds  of  diatoms  you  will  notice  are  small. 

When  we  come  to  larger  diatoms,  such  as  Triceratium, 
Isthmia,  Coscinodiscus,  Actinoptychus,  etc.,  we  find  a  two-fold 
structure.  I  regard  the  delicate  perforated  membrane  as  the 
structure  which  is  of  primary  importance  to  the  living  organism 
inside,  and  the  main  areolations  as  of  secondary  importance,  as 
being  girders  for  the  support  and  protection  of  that  delicate 
perforated  membrane. 

With  regard  to  the  sections,  they  only  confirm  what  had  been 
found  out  before  with  a  half -inch  objective  and  the  stereo- 
scopic binocular,  viz.,  the  nature  of  the  girder  work.  I  very 
carefully  examined  those  of  the  Triceratium  exhibited  by 
Messrs.  Powell  and  Lealand  at  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society, 
under  one  of  their  oil  -^  N.A.  1*43.  The  perforations  in  the 
delicate  membrane  were  wholly  invisible.  These  perforations 
when  viewed  on  the  ordinary  valve,  not  in  section,  can  be  seen 
as  markings,  with  a  common  half -inch  objective  (mind,  I  do 
not  say  you  can  see  them  as  perforations  with  a  half-inch) 
— in  section  they  were  invisible  under  one  of  the  finest  objec- 
tives ever  made.  It  is  committing  a  grave  error  to  seek  for  a 
solution  of  the  nature  of  the  delicate  membrane  by  examining 
those  diatoms  which  have  a  double  structure,  because  in  those 
diatoms  the  perforations  in  the  delicate  membrane  are  very 
minute. 

The  very  fact  of  a  diatom  having  a  very  strong  girder  frame- 
work points  to  the  probability  of  the  perforated  membrane 
being  very  delicate.  It  is  a  wiser  plan  to  examine  those 
diatoms  which  have  a  bold  single  structure,  such  as  the  P. 
forraosum  and  the  Tryhlionella  punctata. 

To  return  to  the  bar,  a  curious  feature  of  this  minute  object 
is  that  it  is  exceedingly  sensitive  to  focus  ;  the  smallest  appre- 
ciable alteration  in  focus  and  it  is  gone.  Until  I  saw  this 
object  I  was  ignorant  of  the  extreme  delicacy  of  focus  of  the 


MICROSCOPIC    IMAGES    WITH    HIGH    POWERS.  259 

oil  T'¥  1ST. A.  143.  The  so-called  transverse  stria?  on  the  A. 
Pellucida  would  remain  not  only  in  view,  but  sharp,  under  an 
alteration  of  focus  sufficient  to  obliterate  the  bar. 

Some  may  think  that  these  minute  points  are  unworthy  of 
attention,  but  they  are  important,  as  they  are  the  means  by 
which  correct  adjustment  and  focus  may  be  found  out.  When 
you  have  objects  such  as  these  in  view  you  cannot  be  focussing 
and  adjusting  on  a  spectral  image.  Knowing  this,  I  have  been 
able  to  see  that  the  white  dots,  hemispherules,  beads,  or  pearls 
are  not  the  images  of  the  perforations  at  all,  but  are  caused  by 
the  refractions  of  the  cross  pieces  of  silex  between  four  adjacent 
perforations. 

These  fine  details  can  only  be  seen  by  a  direct  axial  cone  of 
large  angle.  They  are  completely  obliterated  under  oblique 
light.  I  will  now,  if  you  will  allow  me,  sum  up  the  lessons 
taught  by  this  resolution.     They  are  five  in  number. 

1.  There  are  no  such  things  as  markings  on  the  Diatomacece. 
The  so-called  markings  on  the  Diatomacece  are  the  structure  of 
the  Diatomacea?.  One  might,  with  equal  propriety,  call  ribs 
markings  on  a  skeleton. 

2.  The  complete  destruction  of  the  hemispherule,  bead,  and 
pearl  theory. 

3.  The  contradiction  of  the  statement  "  that  you  cannot  know 
anything  about  the  structure  of  the  Diatomacece,  because  all  the 
diffraction  spectra  are  not  taken  up. 

4.  The  great  superiority  of  illumination  by  an  axial  cone  to 
that  by  an  oblique  pencil. 

5.  The  solution  it  affords  to  the  questions — What  is  focus  ? 
What  is  adjustment  ? 


260 


Observations   upon    a    Species    of    Gamasus   supposed    to   be 

unrecorded. 

By  A.  D.  Michael,  F.L.S.,  F.Z.S,  F.R.M.S.,  &c. 
(Read  March  26th,  1SS6.J 

Plate  XVI. 

I  have  already  mentioned  at  this  Society  that  for  some  years 
past  I  have  been  investigating  the  life-histories  of  certain 
parasites  of  the  mole  ;  and  that  this  inqniry  led  me  last  Christ- 
mas to  examine  the  nests  of  the  moles,  in  which  I  discovered 
several  species  of  Acarina  not  connected  with  my  original 
subject,  and  which  I  believe  to  be  unrecorded.  Amongst  these 
was  the  fine  Gamasus  which  forms  the  subject  of  the  present 
paper.  Although  I  have  not  been  able  to  find  any  record  of  the 
creature,  yet  in  one  stage  at  least  it  has  certainly  been  found 
before,  because  I  have  in  my  cabinet  a  preparation  given  me 
some  years  since  by  Mr.  Freeman,  of  this  Society,  which  is 
marked  as  coming  from  the  mole,  and  which  is  an  immature 
stage  of  this  species.  A  careful  examination  of  such  records  as 
I  was  acquainted  with  showed  me  that  this  species  was  so 
similar  to  the  Gamasus  magnus  of  Kramer,*  that  I  was  at  first 
inclined  to  think  that  they  were  either  identical,  or  so  similar 
as  to  render  it  undesirable  to  devote  a  paper  to  its  description  ; 
for  although  in  groups  which  have  been  well  worked  out,  as  the 
Lepidoptera,  it  would  be  quite  worth  recording  a  single  new 
British  species  ;  yet  amongst  the  less-known  families  of  Acarina 
I  do  not  usually  think  it  worth  devoting  a  paper  to  a  single  new 
species,  unless  it  has  something  connected  with  it  that  renders 
it  exceptionally  deserving  of  notice.  When,  however,  I  came 
to  examine  into  the  structure  of  this  creature,  I  found  that,  in 
spite  of  the  resemblance,  it  was  not  Kramer's  species,  and  in 
the  course  of  the  investigation  so  many  points  of  its  anatomy 
and  habits  seemed  to  me  interesting  and  worthy  of  a  record, 

*  "  Zur  Naturgeschichte  einiger  Gattungen  aus  der    Familie  der  Gama- 
siden,"  '  Arclriv.  fiir  Naturg.,'  xlii,  Jahrg.   (1876),  1  Bd.,  p.  91. 


A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    SPECIES    OF    GAMASU8.  261 

that  I  was  led  to  reconsider  my  intention  of  abandoning  this 
paper. 

The  species  is  a  large  and  handsome  one ;  indeed,  the  largest 
and  most  powerful  Gamasus  that  I  am  acquainted  with,  and  its 
dorsal  plates  are  divided  into  small  parts,  by  fine  sutures  or 
markings,  looking  like  the  scales  of  a  fish,  which  is  also  the 
case  with  Kramer's  species.  The  form  and  structure  of  the 
second  pair  of  legs  in  the  male  is  also  very  remarkable,  but  here 
again  it  resembles  Kramer's  species.  There  are,  however, 
numerous  more  or  less  important  differences  from  that  species ; 
those  which  have  merely  a  value  as  distinguishing  species  I 
shall  leave  for  the  description  at  the  end  of  this  paper,  and 
shall  only  mention  here  those  which  seem  to  have  a  wider 
interest  or  to  be  otherwise  remarkable. 

What  struck  me  first  was  the  form  of  the  so-called  oral  tube. 
In  Gamasids  in  the  median  line  of  the  anterior  edge  of  the  body, 
and  lying  below  the  dorsal  plate  and  above  the  ventral  there  is 
a  short,  wide,  chitinous  tube  (the  oral  tube),  PI.  xvi,  Fig.  12. 
This  tube  can  be  nearly  retracted  within  the  body,  or  almost 
entirely  exerted.  It  is  formed  below  by  the  maxillary  lip, 
with  its  parts  corresponding  to  the  galea?  of  insects,  &c,  and 
with  the  maxillary  palpi  attached ;  and  above  it  is  formed  of 
what  may  be  considered  as  equivalent  to  a  labrum  or  epistome. 
Through  the  hollow  of  the  tube  (lumen)  the  protractile  man- 
dibles (chelae)  are  protruded  ;  or  darted  would  give  a  better  idea 
of  the  motion,  and  the  lingula,  &c,  are  within  the  tube.  The  epis- 
tome is  variously  shaped  in  different  species,  and  is  often  of 
very  quaint  pattern.  The  mandibles  also  vary  greatly,  although 
always  chelate  in  the  true  Gamasids.  This  variety  of  the  man- 
dible is  chiefly  in  the  male  sex,  and  modern  writers  upon  the 
group  have  distinguished  species  chiefly  by  the  form  of  these 
two  parts,  and  in  most  of  their  writings  these  are  the  only  parts 
figured.  It  has  been  fully  recognised  that  the  mandibles  of  the 
males  and  females  commonly  differ,  and  only  those  of  the 
male  are  usually  drawn,  as  there  is  not  much  variety  in  those  of 
the  female,  but  I  am  not  aware  that  any  one  has  ever  remarked 
any  sexual  difference  in  the  form  of  the  oral  tube,  and  the 
epistomal  portion  of  it  is  iisually  figured  for  the  identification 
of  species  without  mentioning  which  sex  it  belongs  to.  In  the 
present  species,  however,    I   found   to   my   surprise   that   the 


262  A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    SPECIES    OF    GAMASUS. 

epistonie  is  quite  different  in  the  two  sexes,  that  of  the  male 
(Fig.  4)  being  a  triangular  or  somewhat  lancet-shaped  blade, 
nearly  as  broad  as  long ;  while  that  of  the  female  (Fig.  12)  is  a 
long,  strong,  narrow  spine,  with  two  small  teeth  near  the  base, 
and  then  widening  ;  this  is  more  the  form  of  the  epistome  in 
Kramer's  species.  This  seems  to  me  to  have  a  somewhat  im- 
portant bearing  on  this  system  of  classification,  as  where  one 
species  varies  in  the  two  sexes,  it  is  probable  that  there  are 
others  that  do  the  same ;  therefore,  where  figures  of  the  oral 
tube,  or  epistome,  are  given,  it  would  probably  be  desirable  to 
say  which  sex  they  belong  to,  or  whether  both  sexes  are  alike. 

The  next  part  requiring  notice  is  the  mandible  of  the  male.  It 
has  been  mentioned  that  these  organs  vary  much  in  form,  there 
being  often  chitinous.  appendages  to  the  chela  which  assume  the 
most  singular  shapes.  In  Kramer's  G.  magnus  the  upper  (fixed) 
limb  is  about  half  as  long  again  as  the  lower  (movable)  limb, 
and  forms  an  irregular  cone  with  a  blunt,  rounded  point.  Just 
at  the  first  glance  the  mandible  of  the  present  species  looks  as 
though  it  were  an  exaggeration  of  the  same  thing,  as  one  limb 
is  longer  than  the  other ;  but  it  is  soon  seen  that  what  exists 
here  is  exactly  the  contrary  of  the  arrangement  in  Kramer's 
species.  The  fixed  limb  here  is  quite  short,  and  has  one  terminal 
bifid  tooth,  and  one  large  single  tooth.  The  movable  limb  is 
immensely  prolonged,  being  more  than  five  times  as  long  as  the 
fixed  limb.  It  forms  a  great  spear-like  organ,  along  the  distal 
half  of  which  in  the  upper  median  line  runs  a  thin,  sharp  blade. 
The  point  is  extremely  sharp,  so  that  the  whole  structure  is  a 
formidable  weapon.  This  brings  me  to  an  interesting  feature  in 
the  use  of  this  mandible.  I  ventured  to  assert  some  time  since 
that  some  species  of  Gamasus  which  I  had  been  breeding  for  the 
purpose  of  a  previous  inquiry*  were  strictly  predatory  crea- 
tures. My  reason  for  this  was  that  I  failed  to  get  them  to  eat 
vegetable  food,  but  that  they  fed  eagerly  upon  cheese-mites,  and 
throve  excellently  on  that  diet  through  several  generations. 
Some  of  the  Italian  Acarologists,  however,  doubted  this,  and  main- 
tained their  previous  opinion,  that  all  the  Gamasidce  fed  upon  decay- 
ing vegetable  matter.  The  present  species  certainly  is  predatory  in 

*  "  Observations  on  the  life-histories  of  Gamasinae,  with  a  view  to  assist 
in  more  exact  classification,"  '  Journ.  Linn.  Soc.  Zool.,'  Vol.  xv.  (1881), 
p.  297. 


A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    SPECIES    OF    GAMASUS.  263 

the  most  marked  and  obvious  manner.  I  found  it  in  the  moles' 
nests,  and  brought  home  and  preserved  nests  and  all  in  their 
natural  condition.  I  had  plenty  of  specimens  of  the  Gamasids, 
and  they  were  amply  supplied  with  the  vegetable  material  in 
which  they  lived,  but  I  did  not  ever  find  them  feeding  upon 
any  vegetable  matter;  whereas,  both  when  I  first  obtained 
them,  and  afterwards  during  the  time  I  kept  them,  I  was  con- 
tinually finding  the  Gamasids  with  small  wire-worms  and  other 
larvae  of  beetles,  &c,  and  small  worms,  and  even  mole-fleas 
in  their  mandibles.  The  larvae  were  often  so  large  that  they 
dragged  the  Gamasus  about  while  he  was  devouring  them ;  but 
the  Gamasus  always  held  on,  and  sucked  his  victim  quite  dry. 
Sometimes  he  would  kill  it  by  darting  his  lance-like  mandibles 
through  and  through  it.  All  these  processes  were  easily  watched 
under  the  microscope,  and  when  I  wanted  to  keep  a  Gamasus 
alive  in  a  separate  cell  for  observation  I  fed  it  on  soft-bodied 
larvae,  which  answered  admirably.  For  its  size,  this  Gamasus  is 
one  of  the  most  ferocious  creatures  I  ever  had  to  deal  with. 

The  above-named  use  is  not  the  only  mode  in  which  the 
mandibles  are  employed.  I  was  quite  unprepared  for  another 
purpose  to  which  I  found  that  they  were  applied.  The  great 
difference  between  the  mandibles  in  the  two  sexes,  and 
their  singular  development  in  the  male,  naturally  lead  the 
observer  to  suspect  that  in  this  sex  they  might  subserve  some 
sexual  purpose ;  but  on  reflection  it  seemed,  perhaps,  more 
probable  that  they  were  merely  correlated.  I  observed  in  the 
specimens  that  I  had  killed  for  preparations  that  the  two 
mandibles  were  always  extruded  to  the  same  extent ;  now,  the 
ordinary,  strongly-chelate  mandibles  of  Gamasids  are  more 
usually  extruded  alternately,  and  then  specimens  which  have 
been  killed  are  found  with  the  two  mandibles  unequally 
advanced.  I,  therefore,  suspected  that  in  this  species  the 
mandibles  might  be  protruded  at  the  same  instant.  I  carefully 
observed  the  living  creature,  and  found  that  this  was  always 
so.  It,  however,  had  not  any  particular  significance  for  me 
until  after  I  had  made  other  observations.  It  so  happened 
that  I  found  a  considerable  number  of  males  and  females  in 
coitu.  I  noticed  that  the  mandibles  of  the  male  were  bent 
downward  toward  the  female  in  a  manner  which  seemed  to 
me  singular.     On  separating  one  of  the  males  from  its  com- 


264  A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    SPECIES    OF    GAMASUS. 

panion,  I  found  a  flask-shaped,  rather  egg-like  object,  semi- 
transparent  and  rather  opalescent,  adhering  to  both  mandibles, 
and  placed  between  the  mandibles  near  the  bases  of  the 
chela3.  I  at  first  thought  it  was  some  accident,  so  I  sepa- 
rated two  or  three  more,  and  in  each  instance  found  exactly 
the  same  thing.  It  then  struck  me  that,  although  it  seemed 
highly  improbable,  yet  it  was  just  possible  that  it  might 
be  a  poison-sack ;  the  position  at  the  base  of  the  movable 
chela  being  suspiciously  like  that  in  the  spider,  although  it 
was  not  likely  that  the  sack  would  be  outside,  unless  it  were 
temporarily  distended  and  afterwards  retracted.  It  also  seemed 
improbable  that  the  male  would  be  killing  the  female  ;  but  as 
the  converse  readily  takes  place  with  spiders,  it  was  not  im- 
possible. To  decide  this  question,  I  firstly  separated  a  male 
Gamasus  from  a  beetle  larvae  which  it  was  killing,  but  there 
was  not  any  object  between  the  mandibles.  I  repeated  this 
several  times,  but  always  with  the  same  result.  Finally,  I 
examined  numerous  mandibles  under  different  circumstances, 
but  did  not  ever  find  the  object  between  the  mandibles,  except 
in  the  cases  where  the  coitus  had  been  disturbed,  and  then  I 
invariably  found  it ;  the  object  being  attached  to  both  man- 
dibles, so  that  it  could  not  be  withdrawn  into  either,  and  should 
show  at  ordinary  times,  whereas  the  mandibles  were  usually 
quite  clean  and  detached,  without  any  trace  of  a  tie  between 
them.  I  now  accidentally  separated  a  pair  in  which  I  suspect 
that  the  coitus  had  only  just  commenced,  and  here  I  did  not 
find  anything  on  the  mandibles ;  but  I  found  a  precisely  similar 
flask-shaped  object  emerging  from  the  genital  aperture  of  the 
male  ;  the  glutinous  matter  around  it  dried,  and  it  remained 
attached  there.  I  now  dissected  a  male,  and  found  in  the 
hinder  part  of  the  body,  but  communicating  with  the  genital 
opening,  two  large  sacs  filled  with  these  flask-shaped  objects. 
The  flasks  themselves  always  showed  a  granular  mass  inside, 
and  when  this  was  extracted  by  any  means  it  broke  up  into 
what  had  the  appearance  of  the  motionless  semen  common 
amongst  the  males  of  the  Acarina.  My  conclusion  from  all 
this  was  that,  in  the  present  species  at  all  events,  the  male 
semen  is  enclosed  in  masses,  in  large  capsules  or  spermatophores, 
which  are  stored  in  what  answers  to  Neeclham's  sac  in  the 
Cephalopoda,  and  are  extruded  singly,  and  applied  to  the  genital 
organ  of    the  female  by  the  singular  mandibles  of  the  male, 


X 


A.   D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    STECIES    OF    GAMASUS.  265 

which  are  also  possibly  used  in  lifting  the  large  chitinous  flap 
which  covers  the  female  organs. 

During  the  last-mentioned  observations  I  had  an  opportunity 
of  seeing  how  the  great  apophysis  on  the  enlarged  second  leg 
of  the  male  was  used  to  retain  the  female.  I  found  that  it  was 
hooked  round  the  leg  of  the  female,  giving  a  very  firm  grasp. 

I  may  also  call  attention  to  a  remarkable  axe-blade-shaped 
chitinous  projection  on  the  second  joint  of  the  first  leg  of  the 
male.  This  leg  is  a  tactile  organ,  but  I  am  not  able  to  give  any 
explanation  of  the  use  of  this  piece. 

Finally,  I  may  mention  that  this  is  one  of  those  species 
where  the  dorsal  shield  is  divided  into  two  in  the  adult.  I  fear 
that  Dr.  Kramer  thought  that,  in  my  paper  above  referred  to,  I 
denied. that  the  adults  ever  had  the  dorsal  plate  so  divided,  and 
asserted  that  it  was  a  sign  of  immature  condition.  I  fear  that 
the  language  of  my  paper  must  have  contained  some  ambiguity 
which  might  mislead  a  foreigner,  even  when  as  well  acquainted 
with  English  as  Dr.  Kramer  is  ;  but  certainly  I  never  intended 
to  state  anything  of  the  kind.  I  was  well  aware  that  in  some 
kinds  the  adults  showed  the  dividing  line ;  but  what  I  wished 
to  say  was  that,  in  the  particular  species  I  was  then  investigat- 
ing, the  plates  were  divided  in  the  immature  creature,  but  did 
not  show  any  division  in  the  adult ;  and  that  as  some  species 
had  the  plate  divided  in  the  nymph  and  larva,  but  not  in  the 
adult,  and  as  the  division  of  the  plate  could  often  be  seen  on 
the  cast  skin  or  on  a  dissection  when  it  could  not  be  seen  on 
the  living  creature,  I  thought  that  the  division  of  the  plate  was 
not  a  character  upon  which  it  was  desirable  to  found  a  classi- 
fication. As  I  have  not  written  any  paper  on  the  Gamasidce 
since  that  as  to  which  the  mistake  occurred,  I  have  not  had  an 
opportunity  of  correcting  it  before. 

Gamasus  terribilis,  n.s. 

Male. 
Average  length  about     1*72  m.m. 
,,       breadth    „         1*07       ,, 

,,       length  of  1st  pair  of  legs   about     1*40  m.m. 
„  „  2nd  „  „         1"09     „ 

,,  ,,  ord  ,,  ,,  vo     ,, 

„  „  4th  „  „         1'35     .. 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  15.  Y 


266  A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    SPECIES    OF    GAMASUS. 

Colour — Yellow-brown,  of  medium  depth,  legs  darker. 

Texture — Smooth,  but  not  polished. 

Body — Form  almost  oblong,  except  the  anterior  margin  of 
the  dorsal  shield,  which  projects  strongly  in  the  centre,  above 
the  oral  tube,  and  has  a  very  rounded  outline  in  the  projecting 
portion.  Dorsal  shield  separated  from  the  ventral,  and  divided 
in  the  centre  by  a  transverse  line,  and  slightly  indented  at  that 
place,  showing  the  membranous  margin.  Oral  tube,  with  upper 
part  (epistome)  simply  triangular  (Fig.  4)  with  smooth  edges. 
Mandibles  (Fig.  3)  with  the  shaft  (first  joints)  short ;  the  fixed 
limbs  of  the  chelae  (second  joints)  short  and  tridentate,  i.e., 
with  one  bifid  tooth  at  the  end  and  one  large  single  tooth ;  the 
movable  limb  (third  joint)  very  long,  five  times  as  long  as  the 
fixed  limb  ;  almost  straight,  spear-like,  sharp-pointed,  with  one 
large  tooth  near  the  base,  and  a  thin,  sharp  blade,  deepest 
posteriorly,  running  along  the  median  line  of  the  distal  half, 
and  ending  quite  suddenly.  There  is  a  semi-circle  of  stiff 
bristles  just  behind  the  articulation  of  this  limb  of  the  chela. 
Some  of  the  hairs  on  the  palpi  are  pectinated  (not  strongly). 
There  are  four  fine,  white  hairs  on  the  projecting  portion  of  the 
anterior  edge  of  the  dorsal  plate,  and  numerous  similar  hairs 
round  the  periphery,  and  on  the  dorsal  plate. 

On  the  ventral  surface  the  sternal  plate  is  undivided,  and  the 
ventral  and  anal  plates  are  fused,  but  separate  from  the  sternal 
and  dorsal  plates.  There  is  a  chitinous  arch  over  the  genital 
opening. 

Legs  of  moderate  length  ;  the  first  pair  (Fig.  6)  thin  and 
straight ;  joints  of  nearly  equal  thickness  throughout.  The 
second  joint  (Fig.  11)  has  a  great  axe-blade-shaped  chitinous 
projection  in  the  median  line  above.  This  leg  terminates  in  a 
membranous  pad  in  which  the  shaft  of  the  claws  is  sunk ;  the 
caruncle  is  very  large  and  broad  ;  there  are  numerous  fine  hairs 
on  all  the  joints.  The  second  leg  (Fig.  7)  is  very  greatly 
thickened,  but  gradually  diminished  to  a  point.  The  first  two 
joints  are  very  large,  then  there  is  a  sudden  constriction,  then 
the  third  joint  is  extremely  thick,  with  a  great  rounded  elbow ; 
from  this  point  the  leg  diminishes,  ending  in  a  strange,  slightly 
recurved,  pointed  portion,  which  bears  a  certain  resemblance  to 
the  form  of  the  human  foot ;  from  the  under  side  of  what 
would  be  the  heel  proceeds  the  long-shaped  caruncle  and  strong 


i.e. 


Ser.U.VoL  .2  .PI.  XVI 


A.D.Micha.el   adnott.deL 


W.  Rhem  sc 


GAMASUS       TERRIBILIS      d*  &    ^ 


V 


A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    SPECIES    OF    GAMASUS.  267 

double-claw.  There  is  a  great  apophysis  with  a  bifid  terminal 
tooth  and  one  single  tooth  on  the  inner  side  of  third  joint,  with 
a  spike  beyond  it ;  a  smaller  apophysis  on  the  same  side  of  the 
fourth  joint,  with  a  spike  behind  it ;  a  still  smaller  apophysis  on 
the  fifth  joint ;  and  a  narrow  blade  on  the  terminal  part  of  the 
tarsus.  There  are  also  a  few  rather  strong  hairs  on  the  various 
joints.  The  third  and  fourth  tarsi  end  in  sharp  points,  other- 
wise these  legs  are  not  remarkable.  There  is  a  pair  of  spines 
under  each  fifth  and  sixth,  and  three  under  the  eighth  joint, 
one  above  the  second,  and  three  above  the  fourth  joint,  and 
several  fine  hairs  on  all  joints. 

Female. 
Average  length  about     1*72 
,,  breadth     ,,  "80 

,,         length  of  1st  pair  of  legs     130 
„       2nd  „  1-00 

„       3rd  „  -91 

„       4th  „  1-40 

Colour  and  texture  as  in  the  male.  Form  almost  similar  to 
the  male,  but  legs  broad  in  proportion,  and  the  anterior  margin 
more  sloping,  less  shouldered. 

Body. — Epistome  with  one  long,  narrow  central  lamina,  with 
two  paired  teeth  at  the  base  (Fig.  14).  Mandibles  with  both 
limbs  of  the  chelae  of  about  equal  length,  crossing  at  their  ends, 
with  about  six  teeth  on  each  chela,  provided  with  a  semi-circle 
of  bristles  as  in  the  male.  On  the  ventral  surface  (Fig.  17)  the 
sternal  plate  is  divided  into  an  anterior  and  a  posterior  (genital) 
plate. 

Legs. — First  pair  without  the  axe-shaped  projection  ;  second, 
legs  thickened,  but  not  nearly  so  much  so  as  those  of  the  male ; 
without  apophyses,  and  the  tarsi  without  the  blades  or  the 
terminal  foot-like  hooks. 

In  other  respects  the  female  resembles  the  male. 

EXPLANATION  OF  PLATE  XVI. 
Gamasus  terkibilis. 

Fig.  1.  Adult  male  X  30. 

„  2.  Adult  female  X  30. 

,,  3.  Mandible  of  adult  male  X  150. 

„  4.  Epistome  (top  of  oral  tube)  of  adult  male  X  100. 


268  A.    D.    MICHAEL    ON    A    SPECIES    OF    GAMAStfS. 

Fig.     5.  Galea  of  adult  male  x  150. 
„         G.  First  left  leg  of  adult  male    X  50  ;  a,  coxa  ;   b,  trochanter  ;  c, 

1st  femoral  piece  ;    d,  second  femoral  piece  ;  e,  genual  ;  /. 

tibia  ;  g,  first  tarsal  piece  ;  h,  second  tarsal  piece  ;  i,  caruncle, 
„         7.  Second  left  leg  of  adult  male  X  50.     (Same  lettering.) 
„         8.  Genital  opening  of  adult  male. 
,,         9.  Spermatophores. 
„       10.  The  two  mandibles  of  the  adult  male  with  a  spermatophore 

attached  X  50. 
„       11.   Second  joint  (trochanter)  of  first  left  leg  of  adult  male  x  150. 
,,       12.  Oral  tube  of  adult  female  X  50. 
,,       13.  Chela  of  mandible  of  adult  female  X  100. 
„       14.  Epistome  of  adult  female  X  100. 

15.  Labial  portion  of  the  oral  tube  of  adult  female  X  100;  mx, 
maxillas  ;  la,  lacinia  ;  g,  galea  ;  It,  lingula  ;  p,  first  joint  of 
palpus. 

16.  Articulated  sternal  process  (the  Bauchtaster  of  Kramer), 
probably  a  tactile  organ,  found  in  both  sexes.  The  drawing 
is  made  from  the  female. 

17.  Arrangement  of  the  plates,  &c,  on  the  ventral  aspect  of  the 
adult  female  ;  a,  anterior  sternal  plate  ;  b,  posterior  sternal, 
or  genital  plate  ;  c,  fused  abdominal  and  anal  plates  ;  d  1, 
d  2,  d  3,  d  4,  coxae  of  the  1st,  2nd,  3rd,  and  4th  pairs 
of  legs. 

„       18.  Chela  of  mandible  of  hexapod  larva,  X  230. 


>3 


)> 


269 


Short  Note  on   the   Fixer   Structure   of   certain   Diatoms. 
By  E.  M.  Nelson  and  G-.  C.  Karop. 

(Read  March  26th,  1886. J 

Plate   XVII. 

On  examining  certain  Diatoms  with  the  finest  oil-immersion 
objectives,  and  under  conditions  of  illumination  snch  as  are 
absolutely  essential  if  the  full  aperture,  and,  therefore,  resolving 
power,  of  these  glasses  is  to  be  utilized,  some  details  of  struc- 
ture  are  brought  into  view  which  are  otherwise  quite  invisible, 
and,  as  far  as  we  know,  have  not  hitherto  been  correctly 
described  or  properly  figured.  Acting  on  this  belief  we  have 
ventured  to  bring  before  your  notice  some  short  observations, 
accompanied  by  careful  drawings,  recently  made  on  a  few  well- 
known  forms. 

1.  Coseinodiscns  ash  rom/phalos.  This  diatom,  although  con- 
sisting of  a  single  siliceous  membrane,  has  a  double  structure, 
viz.,  coarse  and  fine  areolations,  the  latter  within  the  former. 
The  coarse  areolations  are  for  the  most  part  circular  in  outline, 
and  the  intervening  silex  is  thick.  Inside  these  areolations  is 
a  most  delicate  perforated  membrane,  the  outermost  row  of  per- 
forations being  much  larger  than  the  rest.  This  membrane  is 
so  thin  and  fragile  that  it  is  often  broken  out,  and  when  this  is 
the  case  the  coarse  areolations  appear  to  have  a  crenated  edge 
(PL  XVII.,  Fig.  1). 

2.  Isthmia  nervosa.  This  is  similar  in  construction  to  the 
above,  having  a  single  membrane  with  a  two-fold  structure,  a 
fine  perforated  membrane  inside  coarse  areolations.  The  coarse 
areolations  in  this  diatom  are  very  large,  and  the  silex  corres- 
pondingly thick.  At  the  same  time  the  inner  membrane  is 
excessively' thin  and  delicate  as  in  asteromphalos.     The  perfora- 


270  K.     M.     NELSON     AND     G.     C.     KAItOP     ON 

tions  are  large  and  irregular  in  shape  around  the  margin,  but 
smaller  and  circular  in  the  centre.  A  broken  areolation  is 
figured  to  show  the  fracture  passing  through  the  perforations 
(PI.  XVII.,  Fig.  2). 

3.  Triceratium  favus.  This  diatom  is  very  similar  to  the  pre- 
ceding. The  coarse  areolations  are  hexagonal  in  form  and  very 
deep.  At  the  bottom  of  these  is  a  delicate  perforated  membrane, 
the  perforations  being  circular  and  arranged  for  the  most  part 
in  rows.  Fig.  3  shows  a  fracture  passing  through  the  minute 
perforations,  the  resolution  of  which  may  be  considered  one  of 
the  most  crucial  tests  for  the  microscope  of  the  present  day. 

4.  Eupocliscus  argus.  This  diatom  differs  from  the  above, 
inasmuch  as  it  possesses  two  separate  membranes,  one  contain- 
ing the  coarse  and  the  other  the  fine  areolations.  The  outer  is 
a  strong,  coarsely-marked  structure,  the  areolations  being  for 
the  most  part  circular  or  oval  in  outline.  The  intervening 
silex  is  granulated  on  the  exterior,  and  has  a  brownish  colour 
by  transmitted  light.  With  reflected  light,  however,  it  appears 
white  and  sparkling,  not  unlike  loaf-sugar.  The  interior 
membrane  is  yevy  transparent  and  covered  with  minute  perfora- 
tions (only  lately  discovered,  and  which  have  been  called 
tertiary  markings).  But  in  addition  to  these  are  what  have 
long  been  known  as  the  secondary  markings,  viz.,  white  bright 
spots,  which  are  arranged  in  rowrs  radiating  from  the  centre. 
These  secondary  markings  must  not  be  regarded  as  perforations, 
as  we  have  not  found  an  instance  of  a  fracture  passing  through 
them. 

Fig.  4  shows  the  secondary  and  tertiary  markings  on  the 
interior  membrane,  as  seen  through  the  coarse  areolations  of 
the  exterior  membrane.  The  best  way  of  examining  the 
secondary  markings  is  to  use  a  f  or  T\  objective,  with  a 
lieberkuhn,  the  specimen  mounted  dry,  with  the  concave  side 
uppermost.  The  tertiary  are  more  difficult  to  see,  and  will 
require  a  higher  power. 

Fig.  5  shows  the  fracture  passing  through  the  perforations  in 
a  valve  of  Pleurosigma  angulatum.  This  diatom  has  but  one 
membrane,  and  only  one  kind  of  perforations.  To  show  this 
properly  a  lens  must  be  very  well  corrected,  and  have  its 
glasses  very  perfectly  centered. 


. 


Se: 


tftfc  $ft 


VLS 


IsthrrvLCL-      kvervos 


Co 


Fig.    4 


F 


g 


ILuypodxeciiLS    Arqvus 
x  <roo 


o  o  o  o  o  o 

OOOOOOOOOOOCOOOOo 

~  ooooooooooo 


perforations      irv 

P.    j4  Kl-Of  XxXxxJUUJTIX.  . 
x   2330 


G   C   K.  del 


W.T?V\«iin   sc 


THE    FINER    STRUCTURE    OF    CERTAIN    DIATOMS.  271 

Explanation  or  Plate  XVII. 

Fig.  1.  Coscinodiseus  aster  omphalos.  Rom.  imm.  T\ ;  N.A.,  1*43  X.  Per- 
forated membrane  within  coarse  areolations. 

Fig.  2.  Isthmia  nervosa.  Rom.  imm.  -x\;  N.A.,  1"43  X-  Perforated 
membrane  within  coarse  areolations.  At  lower  part  of  Fig.  a  fracture  is 
shown  passing  through  the  perforations.  , 

Fig.  3.  Triceratium  favns.  Rom.  imm.,  &c,  &c.  Fracture  passing 
through  perforations. 

Fig.  4.  Eupodiscns  argus.  Rom.  imm.,  &c,  &c.  Secondary  and  tertiary 
markings  on  interior  membrane  seen  through  coarse  areolations  of  outer 
membrane. 

Fig.  5.  P.  angulatiim.  Rom.  imm.,  &c,  &c.  Fracture  passing  through 
perforations. 


V 


272 


Q.M.C.  EXCURSIONS,  1885. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Totteridge,  by 

Messrs.  Dadswell  and  Nevins. 

April  25tli. 


*  ALQJE. 

Volvox  globator,   containing 
Notommata  parasita. 
CHARAGEJE. 

Nitella  flexilis. 
PROTOZOA. 

Garchesium  polypinum. 

Dinobryon  sertularia. 

Trachelitis  ovum. 

Bulbochcete  polyandra  (?) . 
,,  setigera. 

Characium  omithocephalum. 

Coleochcete  scut  at  a. 

Conferva  bombycina. 

Glceocystis  ampla. 

Mesocarpus  recurvus. 

(Edogonium  longatum. 
Petri  (?). 

Olpidium  ampullaceum. 

Pediastrum  Ehrenbergii. 

Raphidium  falcatum. 

Scenedesmus  quadricauda. 

Sirogonium  sticticum. 

Spirogyra  flavescens. 


VERMES.     Rotifera. 

Notommata  parasita,  in  vol- 
vox. 
Stephanoceros  Eichhornii. 
ENTOMOSTRACA. 
Daphnia,  very  large. 
Eiaptomus  castor. 
IN8EGTA.  Dipterous  larva. 
Corethra  plumicornis. 
Spirogyra  long  at  a  var.  com- 
munis. 
Spirogyra  nitida. 

,,         tenuissima. 
Zygnema  cruciatum. 
Desmidiace^. 

Arthrodesmus  incus. 
Closterium  acerosum. 
,,  Liebleinii. 

Cosmarium  curtum. 

,,  margaritaceum. 

Hyalotheca  dissiliens. 
Staurastrum  polymorplium. 
Xanth  idium  fascicu  latum. 


Ten  members  of  the  Clnb,  one  visitor,  and  a  member  of  the 
Hackney  Society  attended  the  Excursion. 


*  The  following  Algre  collected  by  Mr.  Parsons  were  determined  by  Dr, 

M.  C,  Cooke. 


273 


List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Keston,  by 
Messes.  Dunning,  Mainland,  J.  T.  Powell,  W.  W.  Reeves, 
and  Wildy. 

May  9th. 


ALGJS. 

Chcetophora  elegans. 
Drapemaldia  glomerata. 
Nostoc  commune. 
Pandorina  mortim. 
RapJiidium  falcatum  (r=An- 

kistrodesmus  falcatus) . 
Spirogyra  longata,  var.  com- 
munis. 
Staurospermum    viride    (= 

Stauroca  rpus  gracil  is) . 
Stigeoclonium  protensum . 
Volvox  globator. 
Zygogonium  ericetorum. 
Desmidiace^. 

Glosterium  acerosum . 
,,  lunula. 

,,  setaceum. 

Cosm  a  rium  crenatum. 

margaritiferum. 
tetraophth  a  I  - 
mum. 
Docidium  baculum. 
Euastrum  oblongum. 
Hyalotheca  dissiliens. 
Micrasterias  denticulata. 

,,  rotata. 

Penium  Brebissonii. 

DlATOMACEiE. 

Diatoma  vulgare. 
Himantidium  pecUnale. 


11 


ii 


Pinnularia  nobilis. 

Surirella  bifrons. 
PHANEROGAMIA. 

Arabis  Thaliana. 

Cardamine  hirsuta. 

Draba  verna. 

Mcenchia  erect  a. 

Myosotis  collina. 
„       versicolor. 

Vacciit in  m  Myrtillus. 
PROTOZOA. 

Actinoph rys  E ich  It  < > rnii. 
,,  sol. 

Amceba  dijjluens. 

1  'hcetonotus  larus. 

Difflugia  proteiformis. 

Eileptus  folium. 

Dinobryon  sertularia. 

Stylonichia  mytilus. 

Trachelitis  ovum. 

Urocenftim  turbo. 

JJvella  virescens. 
VERMES.     Rotifera. 

Anurea  aculeata. 

Dinocharis  tetractis. 

Euelilanis  triquetra. 

Microdon. 

Monocerca  rattus. 

Noteus  qnadricornis. 

Rotifer  vulgaris. 

Salpina  redunca. 


Nineteen   members   of    the    Clnb,    four    members    of    other 
Societies,  and  five  visitors  attended  the  Excursion. 


274 


List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Whitstable  by 
Messes.  Hembry  and  Sibert  Saunders. 

May  23rd. 

Serpula  triquetra. 


POBIFERA. 

Cliona,  sp. 
Grantia,  sp. 
CCELENTERATA. 

ZOA. 

Campanularia,  sp. 

,,  neglect  a. 

Halechim  halecinum. 
Laomedia  geniculate,. 
Sertularia  pumila. 
Tubularia  indivisa. 
VERMES. 


Spio  seticornis. 
CRUSTACEA. 
Hydro-  Caprella. 

MOLLUSCOIDA.     Polyzoa. 

A Icyonidium  gela tinosum. 
„  parasiticum. 

Bicellaria  ciliata. 
Membranipora,  sp. 
Pedicellina  Belgica. 

TUNICATA. 

Molgula  tubulosa. 


List    of    Objects    Found  on    the    Excursion  to  Staines,  by 
Messrs.  Rousselet  and  Western. 

June  13th. 


ALGM. 

Bulbochcete ,  sp. 
Coleochcete  scutata. 
Cylindrospermum  macrosper- 

mum. 
Oscillaria,  sp. 


Rivularia 


sp. 


Spirogyra  quinina  (?). 

Volvox  globator. 
Desmidiace^e. 

Closterium  acerosum. 
„  lunula. 

„         setaceum. 

Cosmarium  margaritiferum . 
PHANEROGAMTA. 

Utricularia,  sp. 
PROTOZOA. 

Actinophrys,  sol. 

Epistilis  plicatilis. 


Ophrydium  versatile. 

Urceolaria     mitra,    parasitic 
on  plan  aria. 

Vorticella  chlorostigma. 
CCELENTERATA. 

Hydra  viridis. 
,,       vulgaris. 
VERMES.      Rotifera. 

Asplanchna  Briglitwellii. 

Euchlanis  triquetra. 

Noteus  quadricomis. 

(Ecistes  crystal  I  iuus. 

Pterodina  patina. 

Scaridium  longicaudum. 
Planari^e. 

Two  curious  species. 
INSECTA.      Dipterous 

LARVA. 

Corethra  plumicornis. 


Ten  members  of  the  Club,  three  members  of  the  South  London 
Society,  and  two  visitors  attended  the  Excursion. 


275 


No  lists  were  received  of  the  Excursion  to  Watford  on  July  11th, 
and  only  four  members  of  the  Club  attended  the  Excursion. 
Nothing  of  interest  was  found. 

List  of  Objects    Found   on   the   Excursion    to   Walton,  by 

Messrs.  Nevins  and  Parsons. 


PROTOZOA. 

Anthophysa  Mulleri, 

Cothurnia  imberbis. 

Stentor  cceruleus. 
„        polymoi-phus. 

Vaginicola  crystallina. 

Zoothamnium  arbuscula. 
PORIFERA. 

Spongilla  fluriatilis. 
„         lacnstris. 
VERMES.     Rotifera. 

Floscularia  ornata. 

Lacinula via  socialis. 


July  25th. 

Limnias  ceratophrilum. 

Melicerta  ringens. 

Stephanoceros  Eichhornii. 
Annelida. 

JElosoma,  sp. 

Stylaria  [=JSTais)pro  boscidia. 
MOLLUSCOIDA. 

Alcyonella  fungosa. 

Fredericella  sultana. 

Plumatella,  sp. 
MOLLUSC  A. 

Valvata  jxscincdis. 


Eleven  members  of  the  Club,  three  members  of  the  South  London 
Society,  and  six  members  of  the  Richmond  Athena?um  and  Field 
Club  attended  the  Excursion. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Caterham  and 
Godstone,  by  Messrs.  Hardy,  Nevins,  Parsons,  J.  T. 
Powell,  and  Rousselet. 

August  29th. 

ALGM. 

Pediastrum  Boryanum. 


Scenede sinus  obliquus. 
PHAXEROGAMIA. 
Aira  coispitosa. 
Atropa  belladonna. 
Calamintha  clinopodium. 
Campanula  trachelium. 
Carduus  acaxdis. 
Car  ex  hirta. 
Car  Una  vulgaris. 
Epipaetis  latifolia, 


Erythrosa  centaurium. 
Gentiana  amaretta. 
Inula  conyza. 

,,     pulicaria. 
Juncus  acutijiorus. 
Mentha  arvensis. 

hirsuta. 

pubescens. 
Pimpinella  saxifraga. 
Scutellaria  galericulata. 
Sparganium  neglectum. 
Typha  latifolium. 


5> 


5> 


276 


PROTOZOA. 

Amceba,  large  specimens. 

Vorticella  nebulosa. 
VERMES.     Rotifera. 

Anurea  aculeata. 

Polyarthra  platyptera. 

Synchceta  baltica. 

Triarthra  longiseta. 


ENTOMOSTRACA. 

Daphnia  mucronata. 
,,        pulex. 

Diaptomus  castor. 
INSECTA. 

Zygcena  filipendula. 
MOLLUSCOIDA. 

Alcyonella  fungosa. 


Seven  members  of  the  Club  and  ten  members  of  the  Croydon 
and  other  Societies  attended  the  Excursion. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Richmond,  by  Mr. 

rousselet. 


ALGjE. 

Pediastrum,  sp. 

Desmidiace^e. 

Closterium,  sp. 
CHARACE^J. 

Char  a  frag  His  (?). 
PROTOZOA. 

Ama?ba  villosa. 

Anthophysa  Mulleri. 

Cothurnia  imberbis. 

Dendromonas  virgaria 

Stentor  polymorphus. 

Vorticella  campanula. 


September  12th. 

Hydra  fusca. 
VERMES.     Rotifera. 
Floscularia  cornuta. 
Limnias  ceratophylli. 
Melicerta  ringens. 
Rotifer  vulgaris. 
Stephanoceros  Eichhomii. 

PLANARIiE. 

Planariaj  sp. 
Annelida. 

Piscicola  geometrica  (?  ). 
ENTOMOSTRACA. 

Sida  crystallina. 


CCELENTERATA. 

Six  members  of  the  Club  attended  the  Excursion. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Hale  End,  by 

Mr  Hardy. 


ALGjE. 

Cladophora,  sp. 
Oscillaria,  sp. 
Volvox   globator,  contain- 
ing parasitic  rotifers. 


September  26th. 

Trichelius  ovum. 
VERMES.     Rotifera. 
Limnias  ceratophylli. 
Mastigocerca  carinata. 
Syncho3ta  baltica. 


277 

PROTOZOA.  INSECTA.         Dipterous 

Difflugia,  sp.  larva. 

Dinobryon  sertularia.  Corethra  plumicornis, 

Paramecium  bursaria  (?). 

Ten  members  of  the  Club   and  four  members  of  the  Hackney- 
Society  attended  the  Excursion. 

List  of  Objects  Found  on  the  Excursion  to  Mitcham  Common, 

by  Mr.  Rousselet. 

October  10th. 

PRO TOZOA .  Hydra  vulgaris. 

Actinophrys  Eichhornii.  ENTOMOSTRACA. 
CCELENTERATA.  Daphnia,  various  sp. 

Hydra  viridis.  Diaptomus  castor. 

The  day  was  wet,  and  only  five  members  of  the  Club  attended 
the  Excursion. 

Fredk.  A.  Parsons, 
Hon.  Sec.  Excursions  Sub.-Com. 


278 


New  Books. 

An  Introduction  to  Practical  Bacteriology,  based  upon  the 
methods  of  Koch.  By  Edgar  M.  Crookshank,  M.B., 
E.H.M.S.     (London,  H.  K.  Lewis.) 

It  is  only  a  few  years  since  the  discovery  was  made  that 
certain  diseases  were  marked  by  the  presence  of  specific  forms 
of  Bacillus,  and  already  the  study  of  these  organisms  has  grown 
into  a  science — "  Bacteriology  " — the  introduction  to  which 
science  is  sufficiently  far  advanced  to  furnish  matter  for  a 
volume  of  some  250  pages.  This  volume  is  only  an  introduction 
in  the  sense  that  we  are  as  yet  but  just  beginning  to  know 
something  of  the  subject.  The  book  is  really  a  complete  and 
exhaustive  treatise  on  all  that  is  at  present  known  of  the 
history  and  classification,  and  of  the  modes  of  cultivating  and 
studying  the  Bacteria.  It  is  illustrated  with  numerous  wood- 
cuts, and  also  with  thirty  beautifully-executed  plates,  drawn 
by  the  author  and  his  wife,  most  of  the  plates  being  coloured, 
and  showing  the  appearance  of  the  different  species  as  seen  by 
the  unaided  vision,  and  also  under  the  microscope. 

The  first  part  of  the  book  is  devoted  to  descriptions  of  the 
apparatus  employed  for  sterilizing  the  instruments  and  nutrient 
materials,  the  isolation  and  cultivation  of  the  various  species, 
the  examination  of  the  living  organisms,  and  the  various 
methods  of  staining  and  permanently  preserving  them.  It  also 
explains  the  method  of  experimenting  upon  living  animals,  and 
testing  the  result  of  such  experiments. 

The  second  part  of  the  book  comprises  the  history  and  classi- 
fication of  all  the  known  genera  and  species  of  Bacteria,  and  an 
appendix  contains  a  description  of  some  of  the  yeast  fungi  and 
moulds. 

The  experiments  of  Dr.  Cantani,  of  Naples,  and  Dr.  Salama, 
of  Pisa,  will  probably  give  a  fresh  impetus  to  the  study  of  the 
science  of  Bacteriology ;  and  those  who  are  disposed  to  take  up 


279 

the  subject  will  find  the  road  well  cleared  for  them  by  Mr. 
Edgar  Crookshank. 

The  Botifera,  or  Wheel  Animalcules.  By  C.  T.  Hudson,  LL.D., 
Cantab.,  assisted  by  P.  H.  Gosse,  F.R.S.  (London,  Long- 
mans and  Co.) 

This,  the  finest  and  most  comprehensive  book  that  has 
appeared  since  the  publication  of  Ehrenberg's  "  Infusions 
Thierchen,"  48  years  ago,  will  supply  a  want  that  has  long 
been  felt. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  work  is  well  done,  for  the 
ability  of  Dr.  Hudson  and  of  Mr.  Philip  Henry  Gosse,  as 
artists  and  observers,  is  too  well  known  to  admit  of  question. 

The  two  parts  now  before  us  contain  eleven  large  double 
plates  and  three  single  ones,  drawn  and  coloured  from  life  by 
the  authors. 

The  work  is  to  be  completed  in  six  parts,  and  will  form  two 
handsome  imperial  8vo.  volumes,  embracing  the  life  history  of 
the  whole  of  the  Rotifera ;  and,  when  complete,  the  book  will 
be  one  of  the  most  useful  natural  history  monographs  that  has 
appeared  for  some  time. 


It  is  with  great  regret  that  we  have  to  announce  the  death 
of  Dr.  John  Matthews,  which  took  place  on  the  22nd  April, 
from  acute  pneumonia. 

Dr.  Matthews  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Quekett 
Microscopical  Club  in  1866,  and  was  a  regular  and  constant 
attendant  at  the  meetings  of  the  Club.  In  1869  he  was 
elected  on  the  Committee,  where  his  business  ability  and 
quiet  good  sense  rendered  him  a  valuable  acquisition.  He 
was  chosen  Vice-President  for  the  years  1872  and  1873, 
and  President  for  1874  and  1875. 

By  his  amiability  and  readiness  to  assist  those  less  in- 
formed than  himself,  he  gained  the  affectionate  esteem  of  all 
who  knew  him,  and  by  whom  he  will  long  be  missed. 


280 


PROCEEDINGS. 

January  8th,  188G. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Meteoric  dust  from  Bute,  Scotland      Mr.  E.  Carr. 

Section  of  Eozoon  canadense    ...  ...  ...  Mr.  C.  Collins. 

Foraminifera,   abnormal  forms  of  Peneroplis  Mr.  A.  Durrand. 

Head  of  wasp,    nat.  form  and  colour,  with ) 

j        .  [      Mr.  F.  Enock. 

explanatory  drawings  ...         ...         ...  ) 

Diatoms,  Eupodiseus  argtis,  from  Florida      ...  Mr.  H.  Mori  and. 

Platino-type  prints  of  Photomicrographs        ...  Mr.  J.  M.  Offord. 

Hy  d  r  acini  i  da       Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Diatoms,  n.s.,  Navicnla  Durrandii,   ScoUo-"} 

pleura  contorta,  and  Navicula  Zanzibarica) 

Diatoms,  Actinopiychus  splendens       ...  ...  Mr.  C.  Upton. 

Diatoms,  Tvpe  slide  of    Diatoms  from  Santa) 

,,     .  [      Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Monica  ...  ...  ...  ...         ...  ) 

Attendance — Members,  33;  Visitors,  2. 


January   22nd,   1886. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

■ 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  (.Nov.  27th,  1885)  were  read  and 
confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen   were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club:— Mr.  C.  W.  Covington  and  Mr.  A.  W.  Lyons. 

The  Secretary  read  a  letter  received  from  Dr.  P.  Herbert  Carpenter  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  vote  of  condolence  passed  at  the  last  meeting  in 
reference  to  the  lamented  death  of  Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter. 
The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced : — 

"  Journal  of  the  Iloyal  Microscopical  Society  "     From  the  Society. 
"  Proceedings  of   the  Botanical   Society    of ~) 

Edinburgh"      j         "  " 

M  The     American     Monthly     Microscopical" 


'} 


T  „  In  exchange. 

•j< m i  ii.ii  ...         ...  ..         ...         j 

''Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society" From  the  Society. 

"  The  American  Naturalist "      In  exchange. 


281 

"  The  Microscopist,"  by  Dr.  Wythe     ...  ...      From  the  Author. 

Two  Photomicrographs  ...  ...  ...  ...  „      Mr.  Offord. 

Two  slides,  Sand,  and  Meteoric  Dust  ...         ...         „      Mr.  Carr. 

Two  slides  in  illustration  of  his  paper  ...         ,,      Mr.  Priest. 

The  Secretary  said  that  the  members  would,  no  doubt,  remember  that 
some  time  ago  they  had  a  visit  from  Dr.  Wythe,  of  San  Francisco,  who 
made  an  interesting  communication  on  the  subject  of  the  Microscopical 
characters  of  Handwriting.  The  doctor  appeared  to  have  been  pleased 
with  his  reception,  and  had,  in  remembrance  of  it,  sent  a  copy  of  the  4th 
edition  of  his  work,  "  The  Microscopist "  as  a  present  to  the  library.  This 
book  was  of  interest  as  being  the  first  work  on  General  Microscopy  published 
in  America.  He  also  called  attention  to  the  slides  of  sand  presented  by 
Mr.  Carr,  as  showing  very  clearly  the  perforations  in  calcareous  particles  of 
sand,  which  had  been  referred  to  by  Mr.  Waller  in  his  paper  of  March,  1884. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  several  donors. 

Mr.  Dunning  exhibited  and  described  a  new  form  of  Zoophyte  trough, 
made  in  two  or  more  sections,  which  were  held  together,  when  in  use,  by 
simple  cohesion,  so  that  they  could  be  taken  apart  in  a  few  minutes  for  the 
purposes  of  cleaning,  &c,  without  risk  of  breakage.  Specimens  were 
handed  round  for  the  inspection  of  the  members. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Dunning  for  his  communi- 
cation. 

Mr.  B.  W.  Priest  read  a  paper  on  Spongilla  fragilis,  illustrating  the 
subject  by  diagrams. 

Mr.  J.  G.  Waller  thought  the  paper  was  a  particularly  interesting  one. 
It  had  always  seemed  to  him,  that  they  ought  to  possess  more  varieties 
of  fresh-water  sponges  than  the  two  which  had  hitherto  figured  as  their 
only  examples.  It  was,  at  least,  very  singular,  that  the  Thames  Spongillce 
should  not  have  been  better  known  to  such  authorities  as  Dr.  Bowerbank 
and  Mr.  Carter,  both  of  whom  converted  into  a  new  species  the  specimen 
found  by  Mr.  Parfitt  in  the  river  Exe.  This  showed  him  the  necessity  for 
making  a  protest  against  the  formation  of  new  species,  except  upon  the  most 
complete  evidence  that  they  were  such  :  because  in  the  Spongilla)  of  the 
Thames  he  had  found  every  variety  of  spicule  from  that  with  no  spines 
at  all  to  that  completely  spinous.  He  thought  it  very  singular,  that  Dr. 
Bowerbank,  who  lived  in  London,  should  not  have  studied  the  specimens 
from  the  Thames  in  various  parts ;  had  he  done  so  he  would  not  have  fallen 
into  the  error  now  noticed.  Dr.  Bowerbank's  specimen  came  from  Eother- 
hithe,  and  was  taken  from  the  interior  of  a  dock  where  the  water  was 
nearly  always  smooth  and  stagnant ;  the  fact  being  that  it  was  always 
found,  that  specimens  with  smooth  spicules  came  out  of  still  water.  The 
spinous  condition  had  been  found  in  other  parts  of  England,  but  in  all  cases 
in  running  water.  To  show  how  fond  some  people  were  of  making  new 
species  he  might  mention,  that  some  time  ago  he  described  a  specimen  dis- 
covered at  the  manor  of  Ditchleys,  near  South  Weald  in  Essex,  some 
of  which  he  sent  to  Mr.  Carter  and  to  Mr.  Priest.     Mr.  Thomas  found  a 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  15.  z 


282 

specimen  of  the  same  variety  in  America,  and  at  once  it  was  called  a  new 
species,  and  a  name  was  given  to  it,  or,  at  least,  Mr.  Thomas  suggested  a 
name  by  which  it  should  be  called,  Calumetica,  derived  from  the  name  of  the 
river  it  came  from.  Then  Mr.  Carter  wrote  to  say,  that  the  sponge  he  had 
was  the  same  as  this  one  from  America.  He  (Mr.  Waller)  thought  if  they 
must  give  a  name  to  it  at  all — as  he  himself  had  declined  to  do — it  should 
certainly  be  from  Ditchleys.  He  thought  these  things  ought  to  be  stated,  for 
in  his  opinion  they  did  no  good  to  science,  but  had  quite  an  opposite  effect.  In 
the  sponge,  however,  which  Mr.  Priest  had  described  that  evening  they  had 
a  distinct  variet)r,  and  he  believed  it  to  be  an  English  species,  and  one  which 
had  also  been  found  in  the  Ouse.  It  was  quite  his  opinion,  that  if  they  had 
more  persons  studying  this  group  of  organisms  they  should  soon  have  many 
more  additions  to  the  list. 

Mr.  E.  T.  Newton  thought  they  were  very  much  indebted  to  Mr.  Priest 
for  the  paper  which  he  had  read,  and  he  was  very  glad  to  hear  that  Mr. 
Waller  could  justify  the  specimen  as  a  new  species.  He  was  particularly 
struck  by  Mr.  Waller's  remarks  on  the  remarkable  variations  which  had 
been  found  to  occur  in  the  case  of  this  sponge,  and  it  seemed  to  be  more 
and  more  borne  upon  them  that  many  of  those  things  they  had  been  calling 
new  species  were  not  strictly  so,  and  that  the  divisions  between  them  were 
being  broken  down  as  they  discovered  that  the  differences  arose  from  gradual 
changes  in  the  outward  conditions.  With  regard  to  the  remarkable  fact 
that  whenever  this  sponge  was  found  in  smooth  water  it  had  smooth  spicules, 
which  in  running  water  were  spined,  he  would  venture  to  ask  was  this  due 
to  the  fact  that  in  running  water  they  had  a  more  vigorous  growth  because 
of  the  greater  need  for  protection  against  the  force  of  the  surrounding 
stream,  or  was  it  that  in  this  case  there  was  in  the  flowing  river  a  greater 
quantity  of  material  to  be  gathered  out  of  which  spicules  could  be  made  ? 
He  thought  it  would  be  well  for  all  of  them  to  bear  these  things  in  mind, 
and  certainly  they  ought  to  be  very  careful  as  to  burdening  science  and  one 
another  with  new  names  for  old  species. 

Mr.  Waller  said  that  the  first  variety  of  the  entirely  spined  kind  was 
found  under  rather  peculiar  circumstances.  It  was  in  very  bad  weather  at 
Surbiton,  and  from  some  cause  he  was  detained  for  a  long  time  on  the 
barge  at  which  the  boats  landed  their  passengers.  To  employ  his  time  he 
fished  between  the  barge  and  the  mooring-board,  a  position  where  the  water 
was  in  a  great  state  of  agitation,  and  from  this  place  he  obtained  his 
specimens.  Mr.  Carter  had  suggested  that  the  spiny  condition  might  have 
something  to  do  with  the  rapid  motion  of  the  water. 

The  President  was  sure  the  members  of  the  Club  would  return  a  hearty 
vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Priest  for  his  paper,  and  also  to  those  gentlemen  who  had 
spoken  upon  the  subject.  Mr.  Priest's  paper  also  raised  the  question  as  to 
whether  species  found  here  under  certain  conditions  could  be  properly 
regarded  as  native  or  introduced  ?  This  was  a  very  difficult  question  to 
decide,  more  especially  when,  as  in  the  present  case,  they  were  found  in  a 
tidal  river,  such  as  the  Thames,  which  was  also  somewhat  slow  as  well  as 


283 

tidal ;  and  it  would,  therefore,  not  do  to  lay  too  much  stress  upon  the 
native  character  of  what  was  found  in  such  a  river,  which  was  open  to  the 
traffic  of  all  the  world.  This  would,  of  course,  largely  depend  upon  what 
portion  of  the  river  the  specimens  came  from,  but  if  from  the  lower  part  he 
thought  such  a  situation  to  be  a  very  likely  one  for  the  introduction  of 
foreign  forms. 

Mr.  Waller  said  that  the  spot  where  Mr.  Priest  had  found  his  specimens, 
was  a  part  of  the  river  beyond  the  reach  of  the  tidal  water. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  Mr.  Priest  for  his 
communication. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  read  his  paper  "  On  the  Rev.  Jas.  Campbell's  Form  of 
Fine  Adjustment." 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  also  read  a  paper  "  On  the  Interpretation  of  Microscopic 
Images  with  High  Powers,"  illustrating  the  subject  by  diagrams. 

Mr  Crisp  said  he  quite  agreed  with  Mr.  Nelson  as  to  the  importance  of 
arriving  at  a  proper  understanding  of  this  subject,  but  he  thought  that  his 
summary  was  a  little  more  extensive  than  his  premises  justified.  It  was 
interesting  to  see  the  results  of  Mr.  Nelson's  latest  observations  as  to  the 
true  nature  of  the  markings  on  diatoms,  and  he  was  quite  prepared  to  hear 
that  he  had  come  to  a  clear  conclusion  on  the  matter.  But  whilst  fully 
recognising  the  great  value  of  investigations  of  this  kind,  and  not  agreeing 
with  many  of  those  cautious  scientific  men  who  often  asked  the  question, 
"  What  was  the  use  of  knowing  all  about  it  ?  "  he  still  thought  that,  in  the 
present  state  of  their  knowledge  on  the  subject,  Mr.  Nelson  was  not  quite 
entitled  to  say  that  there  were  no  such  things  as  markings. 

Dr.  Matthews  thought  it  should  be  borne  in  mind  in  examining  objects 
of  this  kind  that  they  were  looking  at  something  that  was  not  fiat,  and  in 
consequence  of  viewing  them  obliquely,  rows  of  dots  or  perforations  would 
be  apt  to  fall  into  series  of  lines.  It  was,  therefore,  quite  possible  that  a 
great  deal  of  error  in  interpretation  might  arise  from  overlooking  the  fact 
that  they  were  not  dealing  with  a  flat  surface.  The  markings  were  also  not 
of  the  same  size  in  different  parts  of  the  same  valve  ;  this  might  also  tend  to 
give  rise  to  some  amount  of  confusion. 

Mr.  Nelson  said  it  might  be  interesting  to  state  that  the  diagram  which 
he  exhibited  was  drawn  to  scale,  but  it  was  just  the  reverse  way  to  the 
Ordnance  Maps — they  were  on  a  scale  of  1  in.  to  the  mile,  whereas  his 
diagrams  were  to  a  scale  of  8  feet  to  y^  inch. 

The  President  said  that  Mr.  Nelson's  exposition  of  this  subject  was  of  the 
highest  possible  interest,  and  he  thought  the  details  which  had  been  given,  as 
to  the  minute  portion  of  silex  projecting  over  the  round  spot,  formed  dis- 
tinctly a  ground  to  work  upon  in  carrying  out  these  difficult  inquiries.  At 
the  same  time  he  did  not  think  he  could  quite  agree  with  Mr.  Nelson  as  to 
the  generalities  of  his  conclusions.  He  had,  in  fact,  rather  a  horror  of 
generalizing,  for  in  the  course  of  his  own  more  particular  line  of  investigation 
he  had  found  that  it  was  a  general  thing  for  an  external  dermal  covering  to 
be  formed  of  three  layers,  and  that  the  middle  one  was  the  supporting  layer, 


284 

but  if  he  began  to  generalize  that  the  markings  were  on  one  particular 
layer,  he  was  sure  to  meet  with  another  specimen  which  would  upset  his 
generalizations.  It  required  great  caution  before  they  could  come  to  a  con- 
clusion that  anything  was  a  universal  structure,  because  general  observation 
showed  them  that  the  variety  in  such  things  was  infinite.  It  might  be 
quite  true  that  in  this  instance  the  visibility  of  the  supporting  grating  was 
what  gave  the  appearance  of  markings,  but  if  it  were  so  he  should  be  by  no 
means  prepared  to  admit  that  this  proved  there  were  no  markings  either  on 
the  external  or,  if  there  should  be  one,  on  the  internal  coverings  of  this 
grating.  It  was  a  matter  which  required  great  caution  in  dealing  with,  but 
undoubtedly  Mr.  Nelson's  paper  would  be  of  material  assistance  in  enabling 
any  one  to  arrive  at  a  conclusion. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  his 
papers. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione,  and  the 
following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 


Ichneumon  and  its  pierced  aphis 

Phora  rujvpes  (Window-fly) 

Hydrachnida 

Mantle  of  Terebratula  caput-serpentis 

Section  of  Carboniferous    Limestone 

the  Polyzoa  Bed  at  Clifton    ... 
Section,  Ovary  of  Orchid 
Spicule  of  Chirodota  from  Chalk 


from 


I 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  F.  Enock. 
Mr.  C.  Kousselet. 
Mr.  J.  Slade. 

Mr.  G.  Smith. 

Mr.  A.  C.  Tipple. 
Mr.  C.  Upton. 


Attendance — Members,  56  ;  Visitors,  7. 


February  12th,  1886. — Conversational  Meeting. 


The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Hydrozoa,  Campanularia  flexuosa 
Head  of  Beetle,  Silis  Madagascariensis 

Plant  Bug,  Mymus  miriformis 

Horizontal  section,  tongue  of  Wasp    ... 

Labrum  of  Wasp 

Hippocampus  embryo     ...         

Cocoon  of  House-builder  Moth 

Sponges  from  River  Lea 

Menthol 

Diatoms,  Cocconeis  costata  var.  pacifica 
Nav.  cuspid  a  ta- 


il 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  C.  Collins. 
Mr.  F.  Enock. 
Mr.  F.  Fitch. 

>>         >i 
Mr.  H.  G.  Glasspoole. 
Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr  E.  M.  Nelson. 


285 

Fructification  of  Fern,  Davallia  canariensis  ...     Mr.  J.  A.  D.  Parker. 

Sponge,  JEct yon  sparsns...         ...         ...         ...     Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 

Spicules  of  fresh- water  sponge,  Spongilla  pur-' 

Smith. 


;;;}m,..g. 


beckensis,  in  flint 

Attendance  —Members,  46  ;  Visitors,  5. 


'1 


February  26th,  1886. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read,  and  confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members 
of  the  Club  :— Mr.  X.  J.  Swanson,  Mr  R.  T.  Holt,  Mr  W.  J.  Butcher,  and 
Mr.  R.  White. 

The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  "  ...     From  the  Society. 

Dr.  Hudson's  "  Rotifera,"  Part  I Purchased. 

Wilson's  "  Bryologica  Britannica  " ,, 

Buckler's  "  Larvae  of  British  Butterflies  and  \ 

Moths,"  Ray  Society f  " 

"  American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal  "     In  exchange. 

"  The  American  Naturalist "    ... 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Hertfordshire  Natural" 

History  Club" 

"  Annual  Report  of  the  Sidcup  Literary  and  )     ^  ,     „     .  A 

Scientific  Society"     }    F™m  the  Society. 

"  Proceedings  of  the  South  London  Entomo-")      y    excnanee 
logical  and  Natural  History  Society  "        ) 

"  Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society"     „        „ 

"  Proceedings  of  the  New  York  Microscopi- 
cal Society " 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  President  called  special  attention  to  the  last  volume  issued  by  the 
Ray  Society  "  On  the  Larvae  of  British  Butterflies  and  Moths,"  which 
was  considered  to  be  by  far  the  most  reliable  work  on  the  subject  ever 
published.  The  illustrations  gave  the  larvae  not  only  in  the  adult  stage, 
but  also  in  the  early  and  intermediate  stages,  in  which,  it  was  well  known, 
they  often  differed  very  considerably  in  appearance  from  the  full-grown 
creature.  The  drawings  had  been  made  with  very  great  care,  from  life,  by 
the  late  Mr.  Buckler. 

Mr  Karop  said  he  had  brought  with  him  a  slide  for  the  Cabinet,  and 
should  like  to  say  a  few  words  concerning  it.  The  specimen  was  a  fungus 
which  grows  upon  the  common  orange,  and  was,  he  believed,  very  injuri- 


286 

ous  to  the  crops  of  this  fruit  in  Italy  and  Spain,  but  he  did  not  like  to 
speak  much  of  its  structure  and  ordinary  life  history  in  the  absence  of  Dr. 
Cooke,  who  would  have  rectified  his  probable  errors  in  this  direction.     It 
belonged  to  the  Pyrenomycetes,  a  family  of  the  order  Ascomycetes,  in 
which  the  receptacle  opens  by  a  pore.     Its  name  was  Capnodium  citri,  B. 
and  Des.,  and  in  its  perfect  state  may  be  often  seen  on  the  rind  of  oranges, 
looking  rather  like  a  piece  of  black  shoddy  cloth  fastened  to  it,  and  usually 
at  one  of  the  poles  of  the  fruit.    A  portion  of  this,  slightly  separated  and 
examined  in  glycerine  jelly  or  balsam,  showed  a  densely  matted  substra- 
tum, from  which  arose  the  curious,  often  compound,  flatk-shaped  recep- 
tacles, which  when  ripe  burst  at  the  apex  and  discharged  a  large  number 
of  very  minute  oval  spores.     Among  the  receptacles  are  some  curious 
clubbed  and  twisted  structures,  which  are  probably  barren  asci  or  para- 
physes.     He  presumed  the  fungus  was  injurious  mainly  in  its  mycelial 
condition,  when  it  permeated  the  pulp  of  the  fruit  and  converted  it  into 
a  black  rotten  mass,  as  those  oranges  on  which  he  had  seen  it  in  its  spore- 
bearing  state  were  perfectly  sound  inside.     On  this  point,  however,  he 
was  not  competent  to  give  an  opinion,  and  it  was  in  regard  to  another 
supposed  effect  of  this  fungus  which  induced  him  to  bring  it  to  the  notice 
of  the  Club.    Some  two  years  ago  a  physician  in  the  South  of  France, 
while  examining   some  expectoration  from  a  severe  case  of  whooping- 
cough,  of  which  there  was  an  epidemic  in  his  locality,  found  in  it  some 
minute  spores,  and  as  the  orange  fungus  was  also  very  prevalent  at  the 
time,  he,  after  further  observation,  came  to  the  conclusion  that  its  spores 
and  those  in  the  expectoration  were  identical.    He  then  obtained  some 
quantity  of  the  spores  of  the  fungus  and  insufflated  them  into  his  own 
larynx  and  trachea,  with  this  result,^ hat  after  a  short  period  of  incubation 
his  temperature  went  up,  and  a  spasmodic  cough  came  on,  which  ran  the 
same  course  and  had  every  appearance  of  being  true  whooping  cough. 
He  (Mr.  Karop)  was  not  aware  that  these  observations  had  been  substan- 
tiated or  that  the  matter  had  ever  been  followed  up  since,  and  simply  gave 
these  statements  for  what  they  were  worth. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Karop  for  his  communica- 
tion. 

Mr  E.  M.  Nelson  exhibited  a  model  of  a  diatom — Navicula  Durandil — 
as  an  illustration  of  the  structure  which  he  described  at  the  preceding 
meeting.  This  diatom  was  one  which  he  had  only  recently  seen  ;  it  was 
very  coarse,  and  might  be  considered  as  a  plate  perforated  with  a  number 
of  holes.  The  model  was  made  of  a  piece  of  board  with  holes  in  it  show- 
ing the  ideal  of  the  back  and  front  view — it  was  like  a  perforated  mem- 
brane with  a  strengthening  girder  which  was  called  the  median  line.  The 
other  diatoms  might  also  be  described  as  strong  girder  work  arranged  to 
support  a  thin  perforated  membrane. 

The  President,  in  proposing  a  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Nelson  for  his  com- 
munication and  for  the  trouble  he  had  taken  in  making  a  model,  remarked 
upon  the  advantages  of  this  method  of  illustration  in  conveying  a  clear 


287 

idea  of  what  was  meant,  and  recommended  it  to  the  attention  of  other 
members. 

The  President  said  it  had  been  discovered  that  April  23rd  was  printed 
upon  their  list  as  the  date  of  the  ordinary  meeting  for  that  month,  and 
that  being  Good  Friday  it  would  not  of  course  be  possible  to  hold  it  then. 
He  therefore  announced  that  in  consequence  of  this  coincidence  the  ordinary 
meeting  would  be  omitted  in  April.  He  also  wished  to  announce  that 
the  Committee  had  been  considering  a  proposition  brought  before  them 
for  making  an  alteration  in  the  bye-laws,  with  reference  to  the  time  for 
holding  their  annual  meeting,  and  in  accordance  with  the  resolution  which 
they  had  passed  he  gave  notice  that  their  next  ordinary  meeting  would  be 
made  special  in  order  to  take  the  matter  into  consideration.  It  had  been 
thought  that  July  was  an  inconvenient  time  at  which  to  hold  their  anni- 
versary, occurring,  as  it  did,  at  a  period  when  so  many  of  their  members 
being  absent  for  their  holidays,  there  was  generally  but  a  thin  attendance. 
It  had  therefore  been  considered  desirable,  on  this  account,  to  alter  the 
period  from  summer  to  winter,  with  a  view  of  obtaining  the  attendance  of 
a  larger  number  of  members. 

The  President  described  at  some  length  a  slide  he  had  brought  for  exhi- 
bition in  illustration  of  the  life  history  of  a  parasite  of  the  mole,  specimens 
of  which  had  been  found  in  the  nests  of  these  animals.  A  description  was 
also  given  of  another  slide  of  Anguillulce  which  he  had  found  to  be  the 
chief  cause  of  an  apparent  disease  seriously  affecting  the  cucumber  crop  in 
Cornwall  during  last  summer. 

Mr  C.  Stewart  proposed  the  best  thanks  of  the  Club  to  the  President  for 
his  interesting  remarks  concerning  a  class  of  creatures  in  which  it  was  well 
known  that  it  took  a  special  interest.  He  also  hoped  that  as  the  cause  of 
the  destruction  of  so  many  excellent  cucumbers  had  been  discovered,  that 
some  practical  attention  would  be  directed  towards  the  best  means  of 
stopping  its  ravages 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  the  President  for 
his  communication. 

The  Secretary  informed  the  members  that  amongst  the  other  objects 
exhibited  in  the  room  Mr.  Xelson  wras  showing  a  microscope  fitted  with 
Mr.  Campbell's  fine  adjustment  described  at  the  last  meeting. 

Announcements  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made, 
and  the  proceedings  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione,  and  the 
following  objects  were  exhibited : — 

Section,  Bud  of  Lily     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Skin  of  Synapta  digitata         Mr.  C.  Collins. 

Crystals,  Malate  of  Ammonium         Mr.  H.  A.  Crowhurst. 

Ichneumon  fly,  Utetes  testaceus  Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Dysdera,  erythnna  Q Mr.  Gr.  E.  Mainland. 

Acari,  Glyciphagus  dispar,  (n.s.,)  $  and  Qin 

COXZtv         «*•  ■•■  #•*  iii  i»i 


'} 


Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 


288 

Eggs  of  Aj„iU„la  from  the  sound  tissue-)  ^  ^  ^^ 

or  root  of  cucumber ) 

Bacillus  a?ithracis A  oil  imm. of  Zeiss',  Camp-')     __    _.,,,»., 
.,,,.,.  x    J-     Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson, 

bells  fine  adjustment  ) 

Attendance — Members,  50 ;  Visitors,  6. 


March  12th,  1886. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Alga,  Vaucheria Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Anther  and  pollen  of  Lavatera  trimestus     ...  Mr.  C.  Collins. 

Antenna  of  Moth,  Smerinthus  populi,  natural")  ^  _ 

-  ,  '  r  F  Mr.  F.  Enock. 

form  and  colour         j 

Palpi  and  falces  of  gossamer  spider,  Walckencera  Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Chelifer,  Obisium,  Dermestes,  &c Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

Spider,  Theridion  quadripunctatum  $         ...  Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Diatoms,  Plagiogramma  nanhoorense  ...  Mr.  H.  Morland. 

„        Eupodiscus  argus,  showing  secon-"^ 

dary   markings,    and   drawing    showing  I  Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

tertiary  markings      J 

Volcanic  ash  from  Borrowdale Mr.  G.  Smith. 

Diatoms,  Surirella,  n.s.,  Mr.  G.  Sturt. 

Glass  rope  sponge,  from  Hayti  Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Attendance — Members,  44 ;  Visitors,  5. 


March  26th,  1886. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
Mr.  H.  Sercombe  was  balloted  for,  and  duly  elected  a  member  of  the 
Club. 
The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced : — 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  " From  the  Society. 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Botanical  Society  of") 

Edinburgh" ) 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Belgium  Microscopical") 

Society"         j 

"Proceedings    of    the    New    York    Micro--) 

scopical  Society  " }      ^  exchange. 


289 


"  The    American    Monthly    Microscopical ) 

T          ,  „  c      In  exchange. 

Journal  ) 


'  r     From  Mr.  Enock. 


"  Proceedings  of  the  Geologists'  Association  "        „         „ 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  Institute  "    ...        „         ,, 
"Proceedings  and  Memoirs  of    the    Man--\ 
Chester      Literary     and      Philosophical  >        »         » 

Society"         ) 

Cabinet  Portrait  of    the  late   Dr.   W.   B. 

Carpenter       

Two  Photo-micrographs  of  Diatoms „      Mr.  J.  M.  Offord. 

Two  Slides  and  some  Photo-micrographs     ...        „      Mr.  Srnithson. 
The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  the  donors. 
The  President  called  the  attention  of  the  members  to  the  fact  that  the 
fourth  Friday  in  April  would  this  year  be  Good  Friday,  in  consequence  of 
which  there  would  be  no  ordinary  meeting  in  that  month. 

A  letter  from  Mr.  Srnithson,  with  reference  to  the  slides  and  photo- 
graphs which  he  had  presented,  was  read  to  the  meeting. 

The  President  said  that  the  members  had  no  doubt  seen  in  the  news- 
papers an  announcement  of  the  death  of  Dr.  T.  Spencer  Cobbold,  in 
reference  to  which  the  Committee  had  that  evening  passed  the  following 
resolution: — "  That  the  members  of  the  Quekett  Microscopical  Club  having 
heard  with  deep  regret  of  the  death  of  Dr.  T.  Spencer  Cobbold,  a  past 
President  of  their  Society,  and  one  who  was  pre-eminent  in  his  own  branch 
of  science,  desire  to  express  their  sincere  sympathy  with  his  family."  He 
asked  the  meeting  to  approve  of  the  same  for  transmission  to  the  relatives 
of  the  deceased. 
The  proposal  was  unanimously  adopted  by  show  of  hands. 
The  President  said  that,  in  pursuance  of  notice  given  at  the  preceding 
meeting,  the  meeting  would  now  be  made  special  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
sidering the  desirability  of  making  an  alteration  in  the  rules  with  respect 
to  the  date  for  holding  their  annual  meeting.  It  was  suggested  at  the  last 
meeting  of  the  Committee  that  it  would  be  desirable  to  alter  the  date  to  a 
winter  month,  and  the  Committee,  whilst  passing  no  resolut'on  on  the 
matter,  thought  it  of  sufficient  importance  to  call  for  a  special  meeting  for 
its  consideration.  Notice  was  therefore  given  at  the  last  meeting,  and  as 
the  excursion  cards  were  going  out  a  circular  was  printed  and  sent  to 
every  member  informing  them  of  what  was  about  to  be  proposed.  He 
should  much  prefer  that  a  proposal  of  this  kind  should  be  brought  forward 
by  the  gentleman  who  had  proposed  it  in  Committee,  and,  therefore,  he 
would  only  point  out  one  or  two  things  which  occurred  to  him,  and  which 
he  hoped  they  would  consider  as  the  voice  of  a  private  member  of  the 
Club.  If,  on  consideration,  they  thought  it  would  be  better  to  alter  the 
date  of  the  meeting  thejT  must  bear  in  mind  that  the  subscriptions  came 
due  in  July,  and  that  if  the  date  of  the  annual  meeting  were  altered  then 
the     rule   as   to    the   date    of    payment   of    subscriptions    must     be 


290 

altered  alsD,  ia  order  that  they  should  hereafter  fall  due  at  the  date 
of  the  annual  meeting.  They  would,  therefore,  have  to  consider  if 
any  difficulty  would  be  likely  to  arise  on  this  account,  sufficiently  serious 
to  prevent  the  p  )ssibility  of  making  the  alteration.  One  way  of  meeting 
such  a  difficulty  would  be  by  paying  10s.  as  usual  in  July,  and 
then  another  5s.  in  December,  thus  covering  the  period  of  18  months.  As 
regarded  his  own  individual  view  of  the  proposition,  it  was  that  a  winter 
month  would  be  more  convenient  to  the  majority  of  the  members,  because 
it  was  difficult  to  get  a  good  meeting  in  the  summer  when  so  many 
members  were  away  for  holidays,  and  no  doubt  there  were  many  amongst 
those  who  would  like  to  have  the  opportunity  of  proposing  members  forelec_ 
tion  on  the  Committee,  and  of  otherwise  taking  part  in  the  business  of  the 
annual  meeting.  He  should  not,  however,  have  brought  the  matter 
forward  himself,  but  as  this  had  been  done  independently  by  another 
member,  he  thought  he  might  sav  a  few  words  about  it.  He  would  now 
call  upon  the  Secretary  to  read  a  letter  from  the  Treasurer  on  the 
matrer,  since  most  of  the  trouble  arising  from  the  change  would  in  the 
first  instance  fall  upon  him,  and  then  he  would  call  upon  the  proposer  of 
the  morion  to  lay  it  before  the  meeting. 

The  Secretary  then  read  a  letter  from  the  Treasurer,  stating  that  he 
perfectly  agreed  as  to  the  desirability  of  making  the  proposed  alteration, 
though  it  would  no  doubt  add  to  his  work  at  first. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  said  he  had  much  pleasure  in  proposing  that  an  alter- 
ation be  made  in  the  rules,  to  euable  them  to  shift  the  date  of  the  annual 
meeting  from  a  summer  to  a  winter  month ;  he  did  this  mainly  on  the 
ground  that  by  so  doing  they  would  be  acting  for  the  convenience  of  a 
large  number  of  members,  who  were  at  present  unable  to  attend  at  the  end 
of  July.  It  so  happened  that,  from  the  fact  of  his  having  always  been  out 
of  town  at  the  time,  he  had  never  yet  been  able  to  attend  an  annual 
meeting,  and  having  remarked  this  fact  to  another  member,  he  found  that 
from  the  same  cause  this  member  also  had  never  been  present  at  an  annual 
meeting.  Finding  that  there  were  others  similarly  situated,  he  thought 
something  ought  to  be  done,  and,  therefore,  he  brought  the  matter  before 
the  Committee  in  order  to  see  if  they  would  be  willing  to  sanction  the 
change,  and  lie  found  on  mentioning  it,  that  the  members  present  seemed 
to  agree  that  the  change  was  desirable.  One  point  the  President  had  not 
mentioned,  and  that  was  that  it  seemed  scarcely  fair  to  drag  a  President 
up  from  the  country  in  the  middle  of  the  summer  for  the  purpose  of 
presiding  at  the  annual  meeting.  He  thought  there  need  be  no  trouble 
about  the  payment  of  subscriptions ;  it  would  be  a  very  simple  matter  for 
members  to  pay  5s.  in  July  for  the  rest  of  the  current  year,  and  then  10s. 
at  the  annual  meeting  in  the  winter  for  the  whole  of  the  year  following. 

Mr.  Morland  said  as  a  non-official  member  of  the  Club,  he  should  be 
glad  to  second  this  proposal ;  he  had  attended  some  annual  meetings  and 
remarked  on  the  smallness  of  the  attendance. 


V 


291 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  said  that  although  he  did  not  propose  to  move  any 
amendment  to  the  motion  which  had  just  been  brought  before  them,  his 
intention  was  to  meet  it  with  a  direct  negative.  He  was  glad  at  least  to 
find  that  the  proposal  had  not  been  a  subject  emanating  from  the 
Committee,  and  as  the  President  had  given  them  his  own  views  respecting 
it,  he  on  his  part  should  not  hesitate  to  state  plainly  what  he  thought  also. 
He  was  by  this  time  rather  an  old  member  of  the  Club,  and,  unlike  the 
gentlemen  who  had  been  alluded  to,  he  had  never  been  absent  from  one  of  its 
annual  meetings.  The  only  argument  he  had  heard  in  favour  of  the  proposal 
was  that  it  might  be  more  convenient  to  some  of  the  members,  but  he  thought 
it  was  quite  likely  that  if  they  found  six  people  who  were  pleased  at  the 
idea  of  a  change,  they  might  find  half  a  dozen  who  would  not  be  pleased 
to  have  an  alteration  of  this  kind  introduced.  This  was,  he  believed,  the 
third  time  the  proposal  had  been  brought  forward  either  in  the  Committee 
or  at  an  ordinary  meeting — and  it -had  also  been  sometimes  raised  at 
annual  meetings,  but  always  up  to  the  present  time  it  had  been  met  by  a 
strong  feeling  on  the  part  of  the  members  that  it  was  bettei  not  to 
interfere  with  an  established  feature  of  the  Club,  unless  for  very  strong 
and  sufficient  reasons.  He  thought  that  before  they  decided  to  make  any 
speculative  alterations  in  a  course  of  things  which  had  existed  since  the 
Club  was  first  formed,  they  ought  to  be  quite  sure  that  they  were 
sufficiently  warranted  by  circumstances  in  so  doing.  Xo  reason  had  at 
present  been  given  for  making  this  change,  except  that  it  might  suit  the 
personal  convenience  of  a  few  of  the  members. 

Mr.  T.  C.  White  said  that  the  subject  was  one  which  no  doubt  they  all 
had  their  own  ideas  about,  and,  speaking  for  himself  only,  his  opinion 
was  that  July  was  a  most  unfortunate  time  of  year  at  which  to  hold  the 
annual  meeting.  He  had  been  ashamed  sometimes  to  see  how  few  mem- 
bers there  were  present  to  hear  the  address  of  the  President,  prepared 
with  great  care  for  the  occasion ;  besides  which  it  did  not  seem  right  that 
a  number  of  members  should  from  this  cause  be  unable  to  take  any  part 
in  the  election  of  their  officers.  He  had  listened  attentively  to  the  remarks 
of  Dr.  Cooke,  who,  as  one  of  the  original  members  of  the  Club,  was 
entitled  to  be  heard  with  great  respect  for  his  opinions,  but  he  had  not 
been  able  to  see  that  there  was  any  very  strong  argument  used.  He  should 
at  least  like  to  hear  the  reasons  against  the  change  when  they  found  on 
the  other  hand  that  the  present  date  had  proved  a  failure  so  far  as  numbers 
in  attendance  were  concerned.  For  his  own  part  he  had  always  thought 
it  was  the  wrong  time  of  year  at  which  to  hold  the  annual  meeting. 

Mr.  E.  T.  Newton  said  that  in  one  respect  he  agreed  with  Dr.  Cooke, 
and  that  was  that  it  was  most  undesirable  to  make  any  change  in  the  rules 
of  the  Club  unless  a  very  good  reason  could  be  shown  for  the  alteration. 
Dr.  Cooke  himself  had  not  given  them  any  strong  reason  against  it,  and  it 
seemed  clear  that  two  or  three  of  the  chief  officers  of  the  Club  were  anxious 
to  have  the  change  made.    He  thought  that  there  had  teen  reasons  shown 


292 

in  favour  of  the  adoption  of  the  proposal  before  the  meeting,  and  he  should 
himself  certainly  vote  in  favour  of  it. 

Mr.  Goodwin  said  that  so  far  as  he  could  understand  from  the  remarks 
of  previous  speakers  the  chief  reason  for  wanting  the  change  was  the  fact 
that  many  of  the  members  had  either  gone  or  were  just  going  into  the 
country  at  the  time  whsn  the  annual  meeting  was  held.  It  struck  him 
that  there  might  be  many  other  reasons  besides  this.  They  had  a  great 
many  country  members  who,  it  might  be  supposed,  would  like  to  attend 
the  annual  meeting,  and  who  would  not  be  vefy  well  able  to  do  so  if  it 
were  held  in  the  winter.  Persons  from  the  country  often  made  a  practice 
of  visiting  London  in  May  or  about  that  time  of  year,  and,  if  his  memory 
rightly  served  him,  he  thought  he  was  correct  in  saying  that  May  was  a 
month  in  which  they  generally  had  a  very  good  attendance  at  their  meet- 
ings. He  thought,  therefore,  that  it  would  be  more  convenient  both  to 
town  members  and  to  country  members  if  the  annual  meeting  were  in  future 
held  in  May. 

Mr.  Epps  thought  it  might  guide  them  in  forming  an  opinion  if  they 
knew  at  what  time  the  meetings  of  other  similar  societies  were  usually 
held. 

The  President  said  that  the  generality  of  them  held  their  meetings  in 
January  or  February.  The  Linnean  held  theirs  in  May,  but  that  was 
because  their  anniversary  was  always  held  on  the  birthday  of  Linnaeus. 

Mr.  Funston  thought  January  was  a  most  inconvenient  month  to  select 
for  the  purpose.  The  weather  was  nearly  always  bad,  preventing  all  but 
very  robust  persons  from  going  out  in  the  evening,  and  domestic  and 
social  arrangements  would  be  very  likely  to  interfere  with  attendance  at 
that  time  of  year.  He  thought  that  May  would  be  much  more  convenient 
than  an  earlier  month. 

Mr.  Parsons  said  he  was  just  about  to  make  the  same  remark,  that  the 
winter  seemed  a  bad  time  to  choose  if  the  object  was  to  secure  a  better 
attendance.  In  addition  to  the  unfavourable  nature  of  the  weather,  there 
were  a  great  many  other  attractions  at  that  time  which  would  be  likely 
to  affect  them  adversely.  Like  Dr.  Cooke,  he  felt  very  much  averse  to 
changes  in  the  rules,  and  did  not  like  to  support  making  a  change  like 
this  for  the  reasons  named.  He  thought  perhaps  one  reason  why  they  had 
a  small  attendance  at  the  annual  meetings  might  be  that  members  found 
them  rather  too  dull  to  entice  them  to  come. 

Mr.  Hardy  said  there  seemed  to  be  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  best 
time  at  which  to  hold  the  meeting.  He  would,  therefore,  propose  that  a 
show  of  hands  should  be  taken,  one  in  favour  of  January  and  one  for 
May. 

The  President  pointed  out  that  the  first  question  they  had  to  decide 
was,  whether  or  not  it  was  desirable  to  make  any  change  ;  when  they  had 
settled  that,  the  fixing  of  a  convenient  date  could  be  managed  as  a  matter 
of  detail. 


293 

Dr.  Cooke  thought  the  best  thing  to  be  done  was  to  put  the  question  to 
the  meeting — should  there  bs  a  change  or  not  ? 

Dr.  Matthews  had  one  little  suggestion  to  make  before  the  resolution 
was  put,  and  that  was  that  an  important  matter  like  this  should  not  be 
too  hastily  considered.  It  would  be  a  great  pity  to  do  anything  without 
due  deliberation,  and,  therefore,  he  would  move  that  the  special  meeting 
should  be  adjourned,  so  as  to  give  the  members  an  opportunity  of  think- 
ing the  matter  well  over  before  they  were  called  upon  to  decide,  as 
there  seemed  to  be  so  many  things  to  be  said  both  for  and  against  the 
proposal. 

Mr.  Nelson  a*ked  if  there  was  time  enough  to  do  this  before  the 
arrangements  for  the  meeting  had  to  be  made  ? 

Mr.  Hind  doubted  whether  they  would  get  any  better  opportunity  than 
the  present. 

The  President  reminded  the  meeting  that  there  would  be  no  ordinary 
meeting  after  that  one  until  May,  in  consequence  of  Good  Friday  falling 
upon  their  usual  date  in  April. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Brown  said  he  had  great  pleasure  in  seconding  the  proposal 
of  Dr.  Matthews  for  an  adjournment  of  the  question  for  further  considera- 
tion. As  an  old  member  of  the  Club  of  16  years  standing,  he  thought 
that  before  anything  was  done  in  a  matter  of  this  kind  the  subject  should 
be  thoroughly  ventilated.  He  should  like  amongst  other  things  to  have 
reference  made  to  the  numbers  attending  the  meetings  at  different  times 
of  the  year,  so  that  before  they  decided  anything  they  might  have  the 
facts  before  them. 

The  President  said  that  unless  they  sent  out  a  special  notice  to  every 
member  it  would  not  be  possible  to  make  this  proposed  adjournment. 

Mr.  Morland  said  that  having  been  called  together  for  the  purpose, 
why  should  they  not  decide  upon  the  matter  at  once — everyone  had  notice 
about  it  beforehand  already  ? 

Mr.  Buffham  said  without  suggesting  a  special  meeting,  could  not  the 
present  meeting  be  adjourned  for  a  fortnight  ? 

The  President  said  they  must  in  either  case  send  out  notices,  and  this 
was  rather  an  expensive  matter  when  they  considered  the  question  of 
printing  and  postages.  In  the  case  of  the  present  meeting  there  had  been 
no  extra  cost  for  postage,  because  the  notices  went  out  with  the  excursion 
cards.  The  rules  required  them  to  give  a  month's  notice  of  a  special 
general  meeting,  and  though  it  might  be  competent  for  them  to  do  so,  he 
thought  that  to  adjourn  the  present  meeting  to  a  gossip  meeting  without 
special  notice  would  only  give  room  for  complaint. 

Dr.  Matthews  said  that  being  so,  he  would,  with  the  consent  of  his 
seconder,  be  glad  to  withdraw  his  amendment. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Brown  cordially  assented  to  its  withdrawal,  but  he  should 
not  support  the  question  unless  it  appeared  that  some  great  possible 
good  was  likely  to  be  derived  from  it. 


294 

Mr.  Morland  said  he  could  not  say  he  liked  the  idea  of  adjournment ; 
he  would  rather  be  beaten  at  once  than  have  the  matter  stand  over  longer. 

The  President  was  about  to  put  the  original  motion,  when 

Mr.  Goodwin  moved  "  That  the  annual  meeting  be  held  on  the  fourth 
Friday  in  May.'' 

Mr.  Epps  had  much  pleasure  in  seconding  the  motion. 

Mr.  Waller  thought  then'  proper  course  was,  first  of  all,  to  take  the 
opinion  of  the  meeting  as  to  whether  any  change  should  be  made. 

The  President  said  that  as  they  had  a  definite  amendment  before  them, 
he  thought  the  best  course  would  be  to  take  a  vote  upon  it  in  the  first 
instance.  He  therefore  formally  put  to  the  meeting  the  proposal,  "  That 
in  future  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Club  be  held  on  the  fourth  Friday  in 
May."  On  counting  the  show  of  hands,  he  declared  the  amendment  to  be 
lost. 

Mr.  Hardy  said  he  would  propose  next,  "  That  the  date  of  the  annual 
meeting  be  altered  to  the  fourth  Friday  in  March  " 

The  President  thought  the  best  thing  to  be  done  was  to  put  to  the  meet- 
ing Mr.  Nelson's  original  motion,  "  That  the  date  of  the  annual  meeting 
be  changed  to  a  winter  month."  On  a  show  of  hands  being  taken,  it  was 
announced  that  the  motion  was  carried  by  36  votes  to  8. 

Mr.  Nelson  then  proposed,  "  That  the  date  cf  the  winter  month  to  be 
decided  on  be  considered  in  committee,  and  be  brought  by  them  before 
another  meeting  of  the  members." 

A  Member  asked  if  the  Committee  were  prepared  to  suggest  any  month 
as  being  more  convenient  than  another  ? 

Mr.  T.  C.  White  thought  it  was  a  matter  which  would  require  some  con- 
sideration ;  they  would  want  to  know  what  was  the  average  number 
attending  the  different  meetings  at  that  time  of  year. 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  thought  the  only  legal  way  of  proceeding  was  to  give 
notice  in  proper  form,  and  to  consider  the  matter  at  the  next  annual  meet- 
ing in  July. 

The  President  said  that  after  the  passing  of  the  resolution  to  alter  the 
date  there  would,  of  course,  be  no  annual  meeting  in  July ;  the  meeting 
had  just  resolved  that  there  should  be  none.  What  they  had  to  do  next 
was  to  decide  at  what  other  time  the  meeting  should  be  held  instead,  and 
they  could  either  fix  a  date  at  once  or  adjourn  the  further  consideration, 
as  they  thought  best. 

Dr.  Cooke  inquired  if  proper  notice  was  given  of  an  intention  to  bring 
this  matter  forward  at  the  previous  ordinary  meeting? 
The  President — Certainly. 

Mr.  Hardy  thought  it  would  be  well  to  take  the  sense  of  the  meeting  at 
once  as  to  the  most  desirable  date  for  the  future  holding  of  the  annual 
meetings. 

Mr.  Spencer  thought  it  would  not  do  to  fix  the  fourth  Friday  in  March, 
because  that  might  occasionally  fall  on  Good  Friday. 


295 

Mr.  Reeves  thought  it  would  be  very  much  better  to  settle  the  matter  at 
once  if  they  could  do  so. 

Mr.  Vesey  then  moved,  "  That  in  future  the  annual  meetings  of  the  Club 
be  held  on  the  fourth  Friday  in  February." 

Mr.  Spencer  having  seconded  the  motion, 

The  President  put  it  to  the  meeting,  and  declared  it  to  be  carried  by  37 
votes  to  2.  Rules  7  and  8  were  therefore  ordered  to  be  altered  accord- 
ingly. 

Mr.  E.  T.  Newton  thought  that  as  the  changes  made  would  necessitate 
an  alteration  in  Rule  7,  so  as  to  make  their  financial  year  end  in  future  at 
the  period  of  the  annual  meeting,  it  would  be  necessary  to  make  some 
arrangement  for  carrying  out  the  alteration  as  regarded  their  future  sub- 
scriptions, which  would  at  present  become  due  in  July  next. 

The  President  said  that  the  necessary  alteration  in  Rule  7  would  have  the 
effect  of  shifting  the  date  for  payment  of  subscriptions  six  months,  so  as 
to  make  them  come  due  in  future  at  the  annual  meeting. 

Mr.  Epps  asked  how  they  proposed  to  do  this,  seeing  that  there  would 
be  no  annual  meeting  during  the  current  year? 

The  Secretary  having,  at  the  request  of  the  President,  read  Rule  7, 

The  President  said  that  the  additional  six  months  which  would  inter- 
vene before  their  annual  meeting,  could  be  provided  for  either  by  paying 
10s.  at  Midsummer  and  5s.  more  at  Christmas,  or  5s.  at  Midsummer  and 
10s.  for  the  whole  year  following  in  January  ;  or  members  could,  if  they 
pleased,  pay  the  15s.  at  one  time.  He  then  put  the  proposal  to  the  meet- 
ing, "  That  Rule  7  should  be  altered  so  as  to  provide  that  subscriptions 
come  due  in  -future  at  the  altered  date  of  the  annual  meeting." 

Carried  unanimously. 

Mr.  Hind  said  that  as  matters  stood  at  present  the  officers  and  Council 
were  only  elected  to  serve  until  next  July,  and  asked  if  it  would  not  be 
desirable  to  pass  another  resolution,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  continue  in 
office  until  the  date  of  the  next  annual  meeting? 

The  President  thought  this  would  be  necessary  under  the  circumstances, 
and  was  of  opinion  that  it  could  be  done  by  an  ordinary  resolution. 

It  was  then  moved  by  Mr.  Hind,  and  seconded  by  Mr.  Snelgrove,  "That 
the  present  officers  of  the  Club  be  requested  to  continue  their  services  for 
a  further  period  up  to  the  date  of  the  next  annual  meeting,  and  that  they 
are  hereby  elected  for  such  period." 

The  President  having  put  it  to  the  meeting,  declared  it  to  be  carried 
unanimously. 

The  business  of  the  ordinary  meeting  was  then  resumed. 

Mr.  Hailes  called  attention  to  one  of  Sugg's  jnew  inverted  gas-burners, 
"The  Cromartie,"  which  with  a  consumption  of  1*9  cubic  feet  of  gas  per 
hour  gives  a  light  equal  to  1T03  candle?,  and  from  its  brillancy  and  steadi- 
ness was,  he  thought,  particularly  adapted  for  use  with  the  microscope. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  exhibited  and  described  a  new  oil  immersion  achro- 
matic condenser. 


296 

The  chair  having  been  taken  pro  tern,  by  Dr.  Matthews,  the  President 
gave  a  description  of  species  of  a  Gamasus  found  in  a  mole's  nest,  and 
supposed  to  be  unrecorded.  He  illustrated  his  remarks  by  drawings  on 
the  board,  and  by  slides  exhibited  under  microscopes  in  the  room. 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  the  President  for  his  communication  was  proposed 
by  Dr.  Matthews,  and  carried  unanimously. 

A  short  note  "  On  the  Finer  Structure  of  certain  Diatoms,"  by  Mr.  E. 
M.  Nelson  and  Mr.  G.  C.  Karop,  was,  in  consequence  of  the  lateness  of  the 
hour,  taken  as  read. 

The  President  again  announced  that  owing  to  the  occurrence  of  Good 
Friday  on  the  fourth  Friday  in  April,  the  ordinary  meeting  in  that  month 
would  be  omitted. 

The  excursions,  &c,  for  April  and  May  were  then  announced,  and  the 
meeting  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione,  and  the  following 
objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Stentor  polymorphous        Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Diatoms,  Arachnoidiscus  oratus  Mr.  C.  Collins. 

Tick  Argas  persicus         Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Lung  of  spider      Mr.  F.  Fitch. 

Dipterous  fly,  Hemerdromia  raptoria  $        Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 
Spider,  Linyphia  montana  $  &  Q        ...         Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Acarus,  Gamasus  terribilis  Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 

Diatoms,    Arachnoidiscus     Ehrenberqii.  var.l    ,,     TT   ,r    , 
Montereyana      j  Mr-  H'  Molland- 

Diatoms,  Eupodiscus  argus        Mr.  E.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

Attendance — Members,  66  ;  Visitors,  4. 


297 


On  Diatom  Structure. 

By     Henry     Morland. 

(Bead  May  28th,   1886.J 

It  will  be  remembered  that  at  the  ordinary  meeting  of  this  Club, 
held  on  February  26th  last,  Mr.  Nelson  exhibited  a  model,  show- 
ing the  structure  of  the  valve  of  Navicula  Durrandii,  Kitton,  and 
also  added  a  few  remarks  on  the  structure  of  diatom  valves  in 
general.  Although  the  members  of  this  Club  were  so  invited, 
there  was  no  discussion,  and  the  matter  dropped.  In  invit- 
ing discussion,  our  President  mentioned  my  name,  but  at  the 
moment  I  did  not  feel  equal  to  the  occasion,  more  especially  as  I 
had  never  paid  any  particular  attention  to  the  structure  of  N. 
Durrandii,  besides  which,  as  far  as  my  judgment  went,  I  was 
perfectly  in  accord  with  Mr.  Nelson's  theory,  viz.,  that  the  "  dots  " 
seen  on  this  particular  diatom  were  nothing  more  nor  less  than  so 
many  minute  perforations.  I  have  since  examined  the  diatom 
more  carefully,  and  if  Mr.  Nelson's  model  exhibited  the  channels, 
from  perforation  to  perforation  on  the  inner  surface  of  the  valve, 
as  running  crossways  to  the  length,  then  he  and  I  are  as  one  so 
far  as  relates  to  the  model  itself ;  but  I  cannot  agree  with  his 
views  regarding  the  median  line,  or  "  raphe,"  which,  so  far  as  I 
understood  him  to  say,  he  looks  upon  as  merely  a  thickening  for 
strengthening  the  valve  generally.  With  regard  to  this  point,  I 
may  state  that  certain  diatomists  consider  that  true  "  raphes  "  are 
simply  clefts  with  thickened  borders,  and  in  the  "  texte  "  of  Dr. 
Van  Heurck's  "  Synopsis  of  the  Belgian  Diatoms,"  page  37, 
there  is  a  figure  of  a  section  of  Navicula  Dactylus,  prepared  by 
M.  W.  Prinz,  which  shows  this  cleft  very  distinctly.  I  must  not, 
however,  confine  myself  to  quoting  authorities,  but,  if  possible, 
give  my  reasons  for  acknowledging  such  authorities.  In  the  pre- 
sent instance,  I  have  sometimes  noticed,  when  examining  this 
"  raphe,"  that  it  has  two  borders,  in  consequence  of  the  cleft  being 
slightly  oblique,  one  of  which,  under  a  high  power,  will  be  seen  to 
be  on  the  "  upper  "  surface,  whilst  the  other  is  on  the  "  inner," 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  16.  a  a 


298  ft.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE. 

but  if  the  ends  of  these  borders  be  examined  it  will  be  found  that 
they  join  each  other,  provided  the  fine  adjustment  be  carefully 
worked  whilst  they  are  under  examination.  But  in  addition  to 
what  I  have  just  stated,  I  can  add  that  I  have  a  slide  of  Pleuro- 
sigma  Balticum  in  which  one  of  the  valves,  in  consequence  of  a 
side  fracture  near  one  of  the  ends,  is  split  right  up  the  centre  of 
the  median  line  from  one  of  the  end  nodules  to  the  centre  one. 
Now,  it  must  be  evident  that  if  the  median  line,  or  "  raphe,"  were 
a  simple  thickening  of  the  valvular  structure,  it  would  be  the  last 
place  where  a  fracture  could  occur  along  its  length.  .  Beyond  all 
this,  I  have  a  valve  of  a  Navicula  which  I  happened  to 
slightly  fracture  whilst  washing  it  free  from  adherent  dirt  in  a 
drop  of  water  before  placing  it  into  position  in  a  "  selected " 
mount.  It  got  fractured  near  one  of  the  end  nodules,  and  this 
fracture  ran  right  along  the  whole  length  of  the  valve,  through 
the  centre  nodule  to  the  one  at  the  other  end.  At  the  moment 
when  I  touched  it  with  my  mounted  bristle  it  opened  out  just  like 
a  pair  of  scissors,  but  on  removing  the  bristle,  as  the  other  end 
still  remained  intact,  the  two  halves  sprang  back  again  into  their 
original  positions,  and  under  a  low  power  the  valve  still  looks 
perfect.  I  have  mounted  this  valve  by  the  side  of  an  unbroken 
one,  in  which  the  centre  nodule  is  seen  to  be  perfect  between  the 
two  central  ends  of  the  two  halves  of  the  "  raphe,"  whilst  in  the 
broken  valve  the  two  halves  of  the  "raphe"  are  seen  to  join  each 
other  right  across  the  centre  nodule.  It  is  not  at  all  an  un- 
common thing  to  come  across  valves  of  Navicidce  halved  along  the 
"  raphe  "  when  looking  over  ordinary  u  spread  "  diatom  slides. 

Last  summer,  being  in  Jutland,  I  obtained  a  quantity  of  the 
well-known  Jutland  "  Cementstein,"  from  both  the  islands  of 
Mors,  and  Fur.  As  I  had  already  had  this  material  in  my  hands 
for  some  time  past,  it  was,  so  far  as  cleaning  it  for  diatoms  in  the 
ordinary  way  was  concerned,  of  little  or  no  use  to  me ;  but 
noticing  under  a  Coddington  lens  that,  as  a  general  rule,  the  larger 
Coscinodisci  lay  parallel  to  the  stratification,  I  determined  to  pre- 
pare sections  in  which  I  could  cut  these  Coscinodisci  in  any  direc- 
tion I  chose.  1  accordingly  sent  some  pieces  of  this  material  to 
a  lapidary  for  slicing — first  marking  with  ink  the  direction  in 
which  the  material  was  to  be  cut  up.  I  may  here  remark  that  this 
"  Cementstein  "  is  simply  perfection  so  far  as  regards  texture  and 
hardness.      With  care,   sections   can    be    prepared    of   exceeding 


H.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE.  299 

thinness.  I  think  I  can  safely  affirm  that  some  of  my  sections 
are  in  parts  not  more  than  ^J^  of  an  inch  thick,  and  even  less  ; 
in  fact,  I  should  consider  a  section  T^  incn  tnick  bv  no  means 
thin.  But  to  obtain  these  very  satisfactory  results  it  is  as  well 
to  prepare  a  number  of  sections  and  then  select  the  best.  It  can 
be  readily  understood  that  when  we  have  to  deal  with  such  exceed- 
ingly thin  sections  the  slightest  amount  of  grinding  at  the  finish, 
one  way  or  the  other,  will  mean  either  a  comparatively  thick 
section  or  none  at  all. 

To  resume,  on  receiving  my  slices  of  "  Cementstein  "  I  smoothed 
one  side  on  a  piece  of  thick  glass  with  a  little  "  Wellington  knife 
powder  "  and  water.  The  powder,  although  fine,  is  too  coarse  to 
finish  off  with,  but  being  brittle  it  breaks  up  finer  and  finer  as  the 
grinding  proceeds,  and  eventually  becomes  quite  fine  enough  for 
our  requirements,  provided  no  fresh  powder  be  added  towards  the 
finish.  I  generally  prepare  some  half-dozen  slices  at  a  time ; 
when  one  has  all  the  needful  apparatus  ready  it  is  as  well  to  make 
full  use  of  it.  The  slices  being  thin,  say  ^  of  an  inch,  by  pressing 
the  tip  of  one  of  the  fingers  on  the  centre  of  them  they  can  be 
finished  off  pretty  level,  as  they  spring  and  get  ground  down  rather 
more  in  the  centre  than  they  otherwise  would,  and  thus  is  counter- 
acted the  rubbing  away  at  the  sides  and  corners  which  usually  takes 
place  when  sections  are  rubbed  down  by  hand.  When  the  slices 
are  duly  finished  off  on  one  side,  I  then  attach  them  with  balsam, 
prepared  side  downwards,  to  the  slips  on  which  they  are  finally 
mounted.  And  here  a  few  words  of  caution  are  necessary,  viz., 
"  the  balsam  must  be  hard,"  for  if  it  were  not  so  the  section,  as  it 
approached  the  final  grinding,  would,  in  spite  of  every  care,  begin 
to  break  up  for  want  of  a  steady  support,  in  consequence  of  the 
balsam  being  soft  and  yielding.  It  is  also  necessary  to  avoid 
bubbles  under  the  section,  as  bubbles  mean  breaking  away  of  the 
section  in  those  parts  for  want  of  proper  support,  but  better,  by 
far,  a  bubble  than  soft  balsam.  I  fix  the  slices  with  balsam 
slightly  hardened,  and  then  harden  off  gradually  by  putting 
the  slips  in  a  very  cool  oven  for  a  week  or  ten  days ;  by  so  doing 
I  get  the  balsam  hard  throughout,  and  without  bubbles.  The 
second  side  of  the  slice  of  "  Cementstein  ,:  can  now  be  rubbed 
down  similarly  to  the  first  side,  with  "  Wellington  knife  powder" 
and  water  on  glass.  As  the  section  approaches  completion,  care 
and  very  light  pressure  must  be  employed,  and  the  "  Coddington ': 


300  H.    MORLAND    ON   "DIATOM     STRUCTURE. 

used  every  minute  or  so.  I  generally  grind  till,  in  spite  of  all  my 
care,  the  section  begins  to  break  away  at  the  edges.  I  now  wash 
the  slip  with  section  attached  in  clean  water,  wipe  same  and  dry 
off  with  a  very  gentle  heat,  not  sufficient  to  soften  the  balsam. 
Having  got  a  cover  glass  ready,  I  place  a  very  small  quantity  of 
thickish  balsam  on  the  section,  put  on  the  cover,  and  press  down 
hard.  If  the  right  quantity  of  balsam  has  been  added,  there  is 
only  sufficient  to  fill  up  under  the  cover,  and,  if  done  at  once,  the 
cover  can  be  adjusted  to  one  side  or  the  other,  as  may  be  found 
necessary  ;  but  this  cannot  be  done  later  on,  as  by  that  time  the 
small  amount  of  softer  balsam  under  the  cover  will  have  attacked 
and  slightly  softened  the  hard  balsam  under  the  section,  and 
moving  the  cover  to  one  side  or  the  other  will  have  a  tendency  to 
break  up  the  section.  I  now  place  the  slide  in  a  cool  oven  for  a 
few  days,  and  when  labelled  it  is  finished,  unless  I  add  a  ring  of 
Bell's  cement,  which  will  enable  the  section  to  be  examined  under 
an  oil  immersion  lens  without  fear  of  the  oil  attacking  and  soften- 
ing the  balsam. 

Thus  far  I  have  only  described  how  very  thin  sections  of 
"  Cementstein  "  can  be  prepared  ;  I  will  now  proceed  to  describe 
how  the  diatom  sections  can  be  separated  and  isolated.  After 
preparing  one  side  of  the  slice  of  "  Cementstein,"  I  attach  it  to  a 
piece  of  glass  some  lj"xl",  instead  of  to  an  ordinary  3" xl" 
slips  and  rub  it  down  to  the  necessary  thinness.  I  then  immerse 
it,  still  attached  to  the  glass,  in  benzole.  After  a  little  time,  say 
half-an-hour,  it  can  be  brushed  off  with  a  camel-hair  pencil  on  to 
a  glass  slip  and  cleaned  of  all  balsam  by  being  brushed  with  the 
camel-hair  pencil  charged  with  benzole.  I  then  transfer  the  slice 
to  some  methylated  spirit  to  get  rid  of  the  residue  of  benzole,  and 
after  a  short  time  to  a  little  clean  water  in  a  watch-glass.  I  now 
pour  off  the  water  and  add  a  few  drops  of  hydrochloric  acid,  which 
at  once  separates  the  diatoms  contained  in  the  section  of 
"  Cementstein."  I  fill  up  the  watch-glass  with  distilled  or  filtered 
rain-water,  allow  to  settle,  draw  off  the  liquid  as  close  as  I  can 
venture  by  means  of  a  fine  pipette,  and  fill  up  with  water  again ; 
this  I  repeat  several  times,  until  I  feel  satisfied  that  I  have  got  rid 
of  the  hydrochloric  acid.  I  next  give  the  diatoms  a  boiling  in 
sulphuric  acid  in  the  watch-glass,  which  I  place  on  a  small  piece 
of  wire  gauze  and  apply  the  spirit  lamp  underneath.  After  washing 
away  the  acid  I  have  the  clean  diatom  sections  ready  for  selecting 


H.    M0RLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE.  301 

and  mounting ;  I  may  say  that  it  is  not  a  case  of  "  embarras  de 
richesses,"  far  otherwise,  and  it  is  a  question  after  all  if  it  is  worth 
while  to  go  through  so  much  to  obtain  so  little,  more  especially  as 
the  diatoms  show  up  very  well  in  the  sections  of  "  Cementstein," 
in  addition  to  which  sections  of  extreme  tenuity  can  be  found  in 
the  "Cementstein,"  more  particularly  at  the  edges  of  the  section, 
which  it  would  be  impossible  to  lift  on  account  of  their  really 
being  in  pieces  with  the  fragments  still  kept  in  position. 

Messieurs  W.  Prinz  and  Van  Ermengem  in  their  work  on  the 
structure  of  diatoms  contained  in  this  "  Cementstein,"  adopt 
another  method  of  isolating  the  diatoms  ;  they  do  not  attempt  to 
select  them,  but  merely  immerse  the  finished  section  on  the  slip 
in  a  weak  solution  of  hydrochloric  acid,  which  attacks  and  dis- 
solves out  the  lime,  still  leaving  the  sliced  diatoms  attached  by 
the  balsam  to  the  slip.  After  washing  gently  in  fresh  water  and 
drying,  they  then  mount  in  a  watery  solution  of  biniodide  of 
mercury  and  iodide  of  potash,  which  does  not  dissolve  the  thin 
stratum  of  balsam  by  which  the  diatoms  are  fixed.  This  medium 
has  a  high  refractive  index,  1*68,  but  this  plan  of  mounting  ne- 
cessitates the  diatoms  being  on  the  slip  instead  of  on  the  cover. 

Having  shown  how  diatoms  in  "  Cementstein  ''  can  be  sliced 
and  isolated,  perhaps  some  of  our  members  may  be  able  to  extend 
the  process  to  other  diatoms ;  I  have  tried  to  do  so  myself,  but  as 
I  did  not  succeed  to  my  satisfaction  I  need  not  trouble  you  with  an 
account  of  what  I  did  and  what  I  did  not.  If  diatoms  can  be 
cemented  in  bulk  into  a  material  having  the  texture  and 
characteristics  of  "  Cementstein  "  the  problem  is  easy. 

However,  I  do  not  think  there  is  really  any  occasion  whatever  to 
trouble  about  preparing  sections  of  diatoms,  as  their  structure  can 
be  very  well  studied  from  broken  valves,  often  found  in  much  larger 
quantities  than  desirable  in  the  cleaned  material.  When  selecting 
diatoms  I  constantly  come  across  broken  valves  or  parts  of  valves 
suitable  for  mounting  for  the  study  of  their  structure,  and,  pro- 
vided that  not  more  than  one  piece  be  required  to  be  set  "  on 
edge,"  I  can  generally  place  such  piece  in  such  position,  adding 
other  pieces  lying  flat.  I  cannot  now  enter  into  particulars  of 
how  I  manage  this,  but  could  do  so  at  length  on  some  future 
occasion. 

Supposing  I  have  found  a  portion  of  a  diatom  valve,  and  have 
set  it  so  that  the  edge  is  in  contact  with  the  covering  glass  ;  it 


302  H.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE. 

may  be  objected  that  such  a  piece  does  not  present  the  advantages 
of  a  section  ;  perhaps  not  entirely,  but  still  a  great  deal  can  be 
learnt  from  such  an  examination,  for,  if  diatom  valves  are  riddled 
through  and  through  with  perforations  as,  in  general,  I  maintain 
they  are,  it  follows  that  sections  would  necessarily  fall  to  pieces  if 
they  were  cut  exceedingly  thin,  and  if  they  were  left  somewhat 
thick  then  the  very  object  of  a  thin  section  would  be  lost,  as  it  is 
the  rows  of  perforations  immediately  under  the  uppermost  row 
under  examination  which  cause  all  the  ambiguity  and  interference 
of  images.    The  following  sketch  will  fully  explain  my  meaning: — 

A    v w w >w w w w— 

Booooooo 

C       o      o      o      o      o      o 

D  _^_^— .^— ^— ^— ^_ ^_ 

Here  are  four  rows  of  perforations,  the  upper  one,  "  A,"  being 
under  examination.  If  the  objective  be  of  wide  aperture  it  is 
possible  that  this  row  alone  will  be  observed,  there  being  in  such 
case,  practically  speaking,  no  depth  of  focus  whatever  ;  but  should 
the  objective  have  less  aperture,  it  is  the  row  "B"  which  will 
cause  most  of  the  confusion  and  interference  of  images,  and  the 
further  one  recedes  from  the  upper  row,  u  A,"  the  less  the  inter- 
ference becomes.  If  my  views  be  correct,  why,  then,  be  at  the 
trouble  of  attempting  to  cut  a  section  of  a  diatom  unless  it  can  be 
cut  so  thin  that  the  row  "  B  "  would  have  no  existence  whatever  ? 
But  this  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  would  be  impossible  unless 
the  section  were  ground  down  on  the  slip  on  which  it  was  to  be 
finally  mounted. 

Although  diatom  sections  and  broken  valves  afford  a  great  deal 
of  information  relative  to  their  structure,  yet  it  must  also  be 
allowed  that  much  can  be  learnt  from  the  examination  of  the 
perfect  valves  themselves,  if  properly  mounted,  as  well  as  from  de- 
fective valves.  I  think  I  may  say  that  no  one  valve  will  afford 
every  information  ;  it  is  necessary  to  examine  a  number  in  all 
sorts  of  stages  and  conditions,  and  to  make  your  own  deductions 
therefrom. 

Proceeding  now  to  the  question  of  the  structure  of  diatom 
valves,  I  purchased  not  long  since  a  copy  of  Messrs.  W.  Prinz  and 
Van  Ermengem's  work  on  the  structure  of  diatoms  contained  in  the 
Jutland  "  Cementstein."     I  have  nothing  to  add  to  their  observa- 


H.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE.  803 

tions  further  than  to  say  that,  so  far  as  I  have  been  able  to  judge, 
my  observations  are  fully  in   accord  with  theirs.     They  maintain 
that  the  markings  on  the  diatom  valves  are  "  perforations,"  but 
that  the  structure  differs  in  different  forms  ;   for  instance,  that  of 
Coscinodiscus  ocutus-iridis  may  be  likened  to  an  india-rubber  door- 
mat with  hexagonal  holes,  laid  upon  and  joined  to  a  thin  sheet  of 
rubber,  with  a  small  circular  hole  in  this  sheet  opposite  the  centre 
of  each  hexagonal   cell  in   the  door-mat  ;    a  valve  cut  obliquely 
shows  this  very  distinctly,  and  that  the  round  marks  at  the  bottom 
of  the  cells  are  holes  is  clearly  proved  by  an  examination  of  the 
edges.     I  have  a  section  of  Coscinodiscus  which  shows  these  holes 
very  distinctly  under  a  i  inch  objective  ;   they  are  comparatively 
large,  about  TIi^7  inch  in  diameter.     With  respect  to  Trinacria 
Regina,  one  of  the  most  common  forms  in  the  "  Cementstein,"  the 
structure  is  much  more  simple,  being  nothing  more  than  simple 
perforations  ;  the  edges  of  the  cut  valves  in   all  directions  show 
this  very  plainly.     But  besides  this  there  are  little  specks  of  iron 
pyrites  here  and  there  in  this  "  Cementstein  ;  "  if  in  very  small 
quantity,  and  coating  any  part  of  the  diatom  valves,  it  will  always 
be  found  between  the  dots,  never  on  them  unless  in  larger  quantity, 
in  which  case  it  is  found  all  over  the  surface  ;  in  no  case  are  the 
dots  covered  with  iron  pyrites  and  the  intervening  spaces  left  free. 
Very  thin  sections  of  Pijxidicula  cruciata,  on  which  the  markings 
are  comparatively  large,  will  sometimes  show  the  framework  of  the 
valve  in  separate  pieces,  but  still  held  in  position  by  the  balsam. 

The  word  "  framework  "  reminds  me  that  that  is  how  we  ought 
to  regard  the  siliceous  valves  of  the  Diatomacea?.  In  my  view  the 
whole  purpose  of  these  valves  is  simply  to  support  the  living 
substance  of  the  diatom.  If  the  solid  "  dot  "  theory  were  correct, 
it  would  follow  that  the  outer  and  inner  portions  of  the  living 
diatom  are  completely  shut  off  from  one  another  with  no  com- 
munication whatever  between  them  ;  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
valves  be  perforated,  there  would  then  be  a  continuity  between  the 
two  parts,  besides  which  there  would  also  be  economy  of  material 
used  in  building  up  this  framework  or  skeleton.  For  my  part  I 
cannot  see  the  object  of  dots,  but  the  case  is  very  different  if  we 
find  these  markings  are  really  perforations.    - 

According  to  Dr.  Van  Heurck's  "  Texte  "  to  his  "  Synopsis  of 
the  Belgian  Diatoms,"  in  that  part  treating  on  the  structure  of 
diatom  valves,  it  would  seem  he  implies  (not  actually  stating  it) 


304  H.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE. 

that  the  normal  structure  of  diatom  valves  consists  of  an  inner 
layer,  more  or  less  perforated,  strengthened  by  an  outer  frame  of 
tubes  more  or  less  hexagonal,  and  that  this  upper  framework  of 
tubes  may  be  found  in  various  stages,  either  very  fully  developed 
(with  even  an  exterior  layer  somewhat  similar  to  the  interior)  or 
slightly  wanting,  or  reduced  to  spines  only,  or  even  entirely 
wanting.  If  I  judge  Dr.  Van  Heurck  rightly,  he  takes  a  highly 
developed  structure  as  his  type. 

On  the  other  hand,  I  would  prefer  taking  a  very  simple  structure 
as  my  type,  and  working  upwards,  and  this  I  would  do  because  I 
come  across  structures  which  cannot  be  explained  upon  the  theory 
of  working  downwards. 

In  my  view  the  simplest  structure  would  be  well  represented  by 
taking  a  piece  of  perforated  sheet  zinc  ;  this  I  consider  to  be  the 
structure  of  the  Pleurosigmce,  with  a  sigmoid  cleft  down  the  centre, 
strengthened  with  a  nodule  at  each  end,  and  a  larger  one  in  the 
centre,  this  cleft  having  thickened  sides  and  being  called  the  "raphe." 

A  little  higher  structure  is  that  of  the  Stictodisci  and  some  of  the 
Triceratice,  where  the  perforations  have  thickened  borders,  some- 
times further  strengthened  with  minute  veins,  like  those  of  a  leaf, 
running  from  hole  to  hole  as  can  be  seen  in  the  valves  of 
Stictodiscus  Jeremianus.  I  have  a  slide  of  what  I  believe  to  be 
Triceratium  venulosum,  in  which  I  have  mounted  a  frustule  on 
edge ;  by  careful  focussing  perforations  can  be  seen  running 
through  the  substance  of  the  valves.  I  have  also  what  may  be 
called  a  skeleton  valve  of  some  species  of  Auliscus,  selected  from  a 
deposit  which  I  had  to  subject  to  very  severe  treatment  with  caustic 
potash  in  order  to  disintegrate  it ;  it  appears  as  if  the  thinner 
portions  of  the  valve  had  been  dissolved  by  the  potash,  but  that  the 
thick  veins  or  ribs,  having  more  substance  in  them,  had  been  able 
to  resist  the  action  of  the  potash  to  a  certain  extent. 

I  will  next  take  the  case  of  what  I  consider  to  be  a  highly  de- 
veloped structure,  viz.,  that  of  AuJacodiscus  margaritaceus.  This 
was  one  of  the  forms  of  which  I  did  manage  to  cut  some  sections, 
but  not  to  my  satisfaction  ;  however,  I  mounted  a  section  with  the 
cut  edge  in  full  view,  and  examined  it  under  my  microscope.  I 
could  see  that  the  section  had  thin  lines  running  across,  and  at  first 
I  thought  it  was  a  case  of  simple  structure  where  the  valve  was 
strengthened  by  means  of  extra  depth  or  thickness.  However, 
more    careful    examination  of    perfect  valves  and    fragments    of 


H.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE.  305 

valves  soon  showed  me  that  the  structure  was  of  the  most  complete 
kind,  according  to  Dr.  Van  Heurck's  views.  Most  young  micro- 
scopists  looking  at  a  valve  with  the  outer  surface  uppermost  under 
a  lowish  power,  say  a  -fa  inch  objective,  would  regard  the  markings 
as  solid  dots,  but  I  could  soon  convince  him  to  the»contrary  by  show- 
ing him  a  valve  under  this  low  power,  wherein  the  balsam  has 
failed  to  duly  penetrate  several  of  the  cells,  the  valve  showing 
bubbles  of  air  most  distinctly  in  the  body  of  the  structure,  each 
bubble  being  contained  in  a  separate  cellule.  So  much  for  the  solid 
dot  theory  ;  however,  this  is  only  one  step  towards  getting  a  proper 
knowledge  of  what  we  are  examining.  I  have  another  slide  on 
which  are  two  broken  valves,  one  with  the  "  inner,"  the  other  with 
the  "  outer ';  side  uppermost.  I  have  mounted  these  valves  thus, 
as  I  find  that  when  using  high  powers  it  is  better  to  have  the  sur- 
face which  is  being  examined  uppermost,  and  not  with  any  structure 
above  it,  which  interferes  considerably  with  proper  definition. 
On  examining  the  "  inner '"  surface,  I  find  that  it  has  a  small  per- 
foration with  thickened  edge  in  the  centre  of  each  larger  cell  in  the 
structure  above  (or  rather  underneath  as  examined),  but  on  examin- 
ing the  "  outer"  surface  on  the  other  valve  the  "dots"  appear 
circular,  but  not  so  definitely  as  to  enable  me  to  decide  exactly 
upon  their  nature  ;  however,  I  have  yet  another  slide  of  this 
diatom,  with  fragments  only  of  the  valve  mounted  in  various  positions 
and  one  of  these  fragments  is  broken  in  such  a  manner  that  I  can 
examine  the  inner  surface,  interior  structure,  or  outer  surface 
separately,  which  enables  me  to  give  the  following  description  of 
the  structure  of  this  valve  : — The  inner  surface  consists  of  a  layer 
with  small  perforations,  some  y^-go"  mcn  across,  with  thickened 
borders  (in  fact,  I  find  thickened  borders  and  rounded  edges  very 
common  to  perforations)  ;  above  this  is  a  framework  of  tubes  (one 
to  each  perforation  below),  with  more  or  less  straight-sided  borders. 
Some  of  these  tubes  have  4,  5,  or  6  sides,  and  they  are  by  no  means 
regular  in  shape.  As  the  outward  surface  is  approached  the  angles 
get  filled  up,  and  the  irregularly  shaped  cells  end  in  circular  open- 
ings rather  smaller  than  the  cells  themselves. 

The  next  diatom  I  shall  describe  is  Arachnoidiscus  Ehrenbergii, 
and  here  the  structure  is  totally  unlike  those  of  which  I  have 
already  been  speaking.  This  valve  is  composed,  firstly,  of  an  outer 
layer,  with  large,  slightly  angular  perforations,  radiating  from  the 
centre  to  the  circumference.   That  these  markings  are  perforations 


306  H.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE. 

is  evident  on  examination '  of  broken  valves.  This  thin  layer  is 
strengthened,  unlike  certain  of  the  Coscinodisci,  Triceratice,  and 
Aulacodisci,  on  the  interior  instead  of  the  exterior  surface,  by 
means  of  radial  plates  set  edgewise  from  a  central  ring  to  the 
circumference,  and  these  j)lates  themselves  are  strengthened  on  the 
inner  edge  by  its  being  formed  somewhat  like  an  ordinary  railway 
rail.  The  ends  of  the  plates  widen  considerably,  and  join  each 
other  with  graceful  curves,  uniting  also  with  the  inner  ring  and  outer 
circumference.  The  interior  plates  are  still  further  strengthened 
by  being  joined  to  the  outer  layer  by  little  brackets,  placed  either 
between  the  perforations  or  on  the  inner  side  of  the  circumference. 
There  are  also  shorter  radial  plates  of  simple  construction  springing 
about  half  way  between  the  central  ring  and  the  circumference,  and, 
joining  the  outer  border.  I  have  endeavoured  to  explain  this 
structure  as  clearly  as  I  can,  but  I  feel  I  have  not  done  it  justice. 
All  I  can  say  is,  that  the  more  clearly  I  began  to  understand  the 
structure  of  this  diatom,  the  more  was  I  lost  in  admiration. 

Amongst  my  diatomaceous   material  I  have  some  from  Tampa 
Bay,    Florida,    which    contains   a   number  of  Evpodiscus   Argus, 
having  the  outer  substance  of  the  valve  very  much  corroded.    Look- 
ing at  ordinary  valves  of  this  diatom,  it  is  very  difficult  to  make 
out  what  its  real  structure  is,   the  outer  portion  being  dense,  with 
irregularly-shaped  openings  all  over  it ;    but  in  the  Tampa  Bay 
forms  this  outer  substance  is  entirely  wanting  in  the  central  part, 
gradually  becoming  perfect  towards  the  circumference.     An  ex- 
amination .shows  that  the  inner  substance,  or   plate,  has  minute 
markings  radiating  from  the  centre ;    above  this  is  an  hexagonal 
structure  (somewhat  resembling  that  of  Triceratium  favus),  but 
which  is  wanting  in  the  centre.     In  ordinary  forms  it  would  seem 
as    if    there  were   a  redundancy    of  silex,   which    granulated   on 
and   around    the  hexagonal   framework,    which  covers    the  outer 
surface  of  the  valve.     Not  long  since  I  promised  a  correspondent 
a  slide  of  this  form  from  the  Tampa  Bay  material,  and   one  day  I 
selected  a  quantity  for  mounting  on  a  future  occasion.    When,  how- 
ever, I  came  to  mount  them,  I  found  that   a  number  of  them  had 
got  smashed  (the  very  best  ones,  of  course;   "it  is  always  so")  ; 
certainly  there  were  some  left,  but  they  were  not  so  good  as  I  could 
have  wished.     I  did  not  care  to  search  for  more,  knowing  that  the 
really  good  valves  required  some  looking  for,   so  I  had  reluctantly 
to  make  up  my  mind  to  send  my  correspondent  a  slide  of  the 


H.    MORLAND    ON    DIATOM    STRUCTURE.  307 

valves  remaining  of  those  I  Lad  already  picked  out.  It  is  a  rule 
of  mine  when  mounting  tl  selected "  diatoms,  if  I  find  them  in 
any  way  dirty,  to  wash  them  by  passing  them  in  and  out  of  a  drop 
of  water  on  a  glass  slip.  I  was  doing  this  with  these  diatoms 
and  as  they  were  drying,  concave  side  downwards  (and consequently, 
holding  down  tight  on  the  glass  slip,  like  suckers,  as  it  were),  1 
touched  them  slightly  with  my  mounted  bristle,  and  found  that, 
with  very  little  trouble  on  my  part,  I  could  remove  nearly  the 
whole  of  the  upper  and  outer  structure  of  the  valve,  which  appeared 
to  me  as  if  it  were  rotten ;  I  took  advantage  of  this  circumstance, 
and  in  a  ver\  short  time  prepared  a  number  of  valves  meeting  my 
requirements.  In  due  course  my  correspondent  received  a  slide  of 
these  "  tampered  with  "  diatoms  from  Tampa  Bay,  with  which  he 
was  very  well  pleased.  I  may  say  that  this  material  also  contains 
Enpodiscus  radiatus,  Bailey,  which  appears  to  be  similarly  affected 
in  the  outer  substance  of  the  valve,  but  I  have  not  yet  either 
mounted  it  or  given  it  a  proper  examination  under  the  microscope, 

I  should  just  like  to  ask  one  question,  viz.  :  How  many  hoops 
does  a  frustule  of  Pleurosigma  have  ?  In  washing  such  a  frustule 
(which  has  broken  up  at  once  on  being  drawn  or  pushed  out  of  the 
water)  I  have  observed  quite  a  number  of  hoops  peeling  off  one 
after  another.  I  think  that  many  persons  must  have  noticed  an 
extraordinary  number  of  hoops  on  some  of  their  slides  of  Pleuro- 
sigma3,  in  fact,  more  hoops  than  valves. 

In  conclusion  I  will  venture  to  remark  that  it  is  not  always  the 
best  workers  that  have  the  longest  purses,  and  as  the  examination 
of  the  structure  of  diatoms  requires  a  somewhat  high  power,  it  is 
possible  that  some  such  workers  may  feel  a  little  discouraged  and 
unwilling  to  undertake  the  study  of  this  branch  of  microscopy. 
To  these  fellow- workers  I  have  a  word  of  comfort,  and  that  is  that 
the  cost  of  a  suitable  objective  is  not  quite  so  high  as  they  may 
probably  think  ;  my  highest  objective  is  only  a  Zeiss's  Gr  water- 
immersion,  which  cost  me  £5  10s.,  and  is  really  a  very  nice  lens, 
giving  a  power  of  over  1,000  diameters  with  a  "  D  "  eyepiece  of 
Swift's.  There  is  still  a  further  comfort  for  some  of  our  poorer 
members  ;  I  understand  that  a  new  optical  glass  has  lately  been  pro- 
duced which  will  throw  all  lenses  hitherto  manufactured  completely 
into  the  shade.  This  may  possibly  cause  a  number  of  -^  inch  oil 
immersion  lenses  of  1*43  N.A.  to  be  disposed  of  at  an  alarming 
sacrifice.     I  should  like  then  to  pick  up  one  for  a  five-pound  note. 


308 


On    the    Microscopical  Structure    of    the    Diatom   Valve. 

By  Julien  Deby,  F.R.M.S. 
(Read  May  28th,  1886.) 

I  have  lately  been  carefully  studying  the  minute  structure  of  the 
Diatom  valve,  with  a  view,  if  possible,  of  reconciling  the  various 
conflicting  opinions  entertained  on  this  difficult  subject  by  some  of 
the  best  living  microscopists,  and  although  my  researches  are  still 
incomplete,  I  have  reached  the  conclusion  that  many  fallacies  are 
being  propagated  regarding  the  Diatom  cell-wall,  especially  in 
connection  with  the  existence  or  non-existence  of  orifices  or  per- 
forations of  the  Valve. 

My  belief  is  that  the  outer  shell  of  the  frustule  of  the  living 
form  is  the  perfect  homologue  of  the  ordinary  cell-wall  of  other 
plants,  and  that  it  is  impervious,  i.e.,  free  from  visible  openings, 
while  the  so-called  "  secondary  valves,"  the  "  Regenerationshiille  " 
of  A.  Smidt,  are  homologous  with  the  scalariform  and  similar 
thickenings  observed  in  many  vegetable  cells  and  vessels  formed 
by  these.  Although  I  must  reserve  for  a  future  occasion  a  com- 
plete and  elaborate  account  of  my  observations,  I  will  lay  before 
the  Club  a  few  of  my  methods  of  investigation,  and  some  of  my 
principal  results. 

I. 

I  have  had  recourse,  in  the  first  place,  to  the  method  of  thin 
sections  of  Messrs.  Prinz  and  Van  Ermengem.  The  difference 
between  their  conclusions  and  my  own  I  attribute  to  the  fact  of 
my  having  almost  invariably  employed  recent  diatoms  for  my  in- 
vestigations, whereas  these  gentlemen  made  use  of  fossil  shells, 
the  external  films  of  which  had  disappeared  either  by  abrasion  or 
by  slow  chemical  action.  Messrs.  Prinz  and  Van  Ermengem 
truly  represented  what  they  saw,  namely,  a  sieve-like  membrane, 
showing  real  orifices,  but  this  in  the  living  frustule  does  not, 
according  to  my  views,  exist. 

I  have  used  as  imbedding  media,  chloride  of  zinc  or  chloride 
of  magnesia,  mixed  with  their  respective  oxides,  an  idea  which 
was  given  to  me  by  Mr.  Hartmann,  formerly  of  Swansea.     As  soon 


J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE.     309 

as  the  mixtures  have  become  hard,  thin  sections  of  them  can  be 
made  in  the  same  way  as  with  ordinary  rock.  If  sufficient  care  is 
taken  it  is  not  difficult  to  obtain  sections  of  a  less  diameter  than 
the  areola  of  a  Triceratium  or  of  a  Coscinodiscus.  These  sections 
have  been  corroborative  of  my  general  conclusions  as  detailed 
further  on. 

II. 

I  have  repeated,  on  several  occasions,  the  experiment  first  tried 
by  the  late  Prof.  J.  W.  Bailey,  of  West  point,  as  early  as  1851, 
namely,  of  dissolving  the  diatoms,  under  the  microscope,  in 
hydrofluoric  acid.  My  results  have  been  identical  with  those 
obtained  by  this  very  excellent  observer.  Prof.  Bailey's  paper 
not  being  easily  accessible,  as  it  was  published  in  the  "  American 
Journal  of  Science  and  Arts,"  2nd  Series,  Vol.  xi,  I  have  thought 
that  a  reproduction  of  it  here  might  not  prove  out  of  place  on 
account  of  the  interesting  demonstrations  it  gives  of  various 
points  in  diatom  structure.  Some  of  these,  however,  relating  to 
the  nodules  and  rachis,  are  at  the  present  day  acknowledged  by  all 
naturalists,  and  as  such  are  somewhat  irrelevant  with  the  subject 
under  discussion. 

"  On  the  real  nature  of  the  so-called  i  orifices '  in  Diatomaceous 
shells. —  It  is  well  known  to  naturalists  that  several  of  the  most 
distinguished  writers  on  the  Diatomaccas  have  asserted  the 
existence  of  '  apertures,'  '  orifices,'  or  mouths  in  the  ventral  sur- 
faces of  many  shells  belonging  to  this  family,  and  have  even 
founded  classes  and  genera  upon  the  supposed  presence  of  these 
openings.  Some  years  ago  I  expressed  in  this  Journal  my  dis- 
belief in  the  existence  of  the  apertures  in  the  following  words  : — 

" '  There  are  three  rounded  spaces  on  each  of  the  ventral  faces 
(of  Navicular),  which,  I  think,  have  been  mistaken  for  openings 
but  which  appear  to  me  to  be  thicker  portions  of  the  carapace.' 

"  This  opinion  was  founded  upon  a  careful  observation  of  various 
fragments  as  seen  in  clean  fossil  specimens,  and  I  still  think  that 
by  the  inspection  of  such  fragments  full  evidence  of  the  truth  of 
my  opinion  may  be  obtained.  I  now  offer  proof  of  another  kind 
which  removes  all  doubt,  and  shows  that  these  markings  are 
neither  apertures  nor  depressions,  but  are  in  reality  the  thickest 
parts  of  the  shell.  If  the  shells  are  placed  in  dilute  hydrofluoric 
acid  and  watched  by  aid  of  a  microscope  as  they  gradually  dissolve, 
the  thinnest  parts,  of  course,  dissolve  first,  and  apertures,  if  any 


310    J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OP  THE  DIATOM  VALVE. 

exist,  should  become  enlarged.  Now,  the  very  parts  which  have 
been  called  orifices  by  some  and  depressions  by  others,  are  the  last 
of  all  to  disappear  as  the  shell  is  dissolved.  This  mode  of  obser- 
vation, besides  establishing  the  fact  that  these  are  really  the 
thickest  parts  of  the  shells,  reveals  many  interesting  particulars  of 
structure  in  the  various  genera  of  Diatomaceas.  Thus  in  the  large 
species  of  Pinnularia  it  may  be  seen  with  even  a  low  power,  that 
the  two  parallel  bands  (separated  by  a  canal)  which  reach  from  the 
central  knob  to  the  terminal  ones,  and  which  appear  smooth  before 
the  application  of  the  acid,  become  distinctly  striated  after  their 
surface  is  dissolved  off,  as  does  also  the  central  spot  itself,  showing 
that  stride  which  existed  in  the  young  shell  are  covered  up  and 
nearly  obliterated  by  subsequent  deposits. 

"  In  Stauroneis  the  Cross-band  and  the  two  longitudinal  bands 
are  the  last  to  dissolve,  and  these  last  bands,  as  in  most  of  the 
family,  appear  separated  by  what  is  either  a  canal  or  a  very  thin 
portion  of  the  shell. 

"  In  Grammatophora  the  undulating  lines  are  internal  plates 
which  are  the  last  to  dissolve.  In  Heliopelta,  Actinoptychus,  &c, 
the  polygonal  central  spot  is  the  last  to  disappear.  In  Isthmia, 
the  sj)ots  on  the  surface,  ivliich  at  first  appear  like  granular  pro- 
jections, are  in  reality  thin  portions  of  the  shell,  and  under  the  action 
of  the  acid  they  soon  become  real  holes*  The  acid  also  proves  that 
the  larger  spots  at  the  transverse  bands  are  really  a  series  of  large 
arcuate  holes  in  the  siliceous  shell,  and  the  piers  of  this  series  of 
arches  remain  some  time  after  all  the  rest  of  the  shell  has 
vanished.  Many  other  interesting  facts  are  revealed  by  the  action 
of  this  acid  on  these  shells,  and  no  one  can  use  it  without  learning 
much  with  regard  to  their  true  structure. 

"  A  few  directions  with  regard  to  the  mode  of  manipulation  in 
these  experiments  will  probably  be  useful.  As  the  fumes  of  the 
hydrofluoric  acid,  if  they  reached  the  lenses,  would  greatly  injure 
them,  I  would  advise  experimenters  (even  if  they  have  a  micro- 
chemical  stage)  to  protect  the  front  face  of  their  objectives  by 
temporarily  cementing  to  them  a  thin  plate  of  mica  by  means  of 
Canada  balsam.  This  can  be  attached  or  removed  in  a  few 
moments,  and  completely  protects  the  lens  without  materially 
affecting  its  optical  power.  As  mica  resists  the  action  of  hydro- 
fuoric  acid  much  better  than  glass  does,  I  prepare  the  cell  in  which 

*  The  italics  are  my  own. — J.  D. 


V 


J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE.  311 

the  solution  is  to  take  place  by  cementing  a  bit  of  mica  to  a  glass 
slide,  and  then  cover  all  its  surface  except  a  central  cell  with  wax. 

"  In  this  cell  the  shells  are  put  with  a  little  water,  and  after 
adding  a  drop  or  two  of  the  acid  by  means  of  a  dropping  rod  of 
silver  or  platinum,  the  cell  is  covered  with  another  plate  of  mica, 
and  the  action  watched  under  the  microscope. 

"  If  hydrofluoric  acid  is  applied  to  recent  Diatomacea?,  the  silica 
soon  dissolves  leaving  distinct,  internal,  flexible  cell-membranes 
retaining  the  general  form  of  the  shells.  These  may  sometimes, 
but  not  generally,  be  detected  even  in  the  fossil  specimens. 

"  When  present  they  materially  interfere  with  the  examination 
of  the  true  nature  of  the  markings  of  the  siliceous  shell,  and 
should  be  destroyed  by  nitric  acid  and  heat  before  the  hydro- 
fluoric acid  is  employed,  unless  it  is  desired  to  study  the  cell- 
membrane  itself.  There  is  a  curious  difference  in  the  action  of 
hydrofluoric  acid  of  the  same  strength  upon  specimens  of  Fossil 
Diatomacea3  from  different  localities.  Some  dissolve  with  even 
too  great  rapidity  in  an  acid  which  is  slow  and  tedious  in  its  action 
on  other  specimens.  The  Bermuda  and  Richmond  Tripoli,  and 
some  specimens  of  fluviatile  origin,  resist  the  action  much  longer 
than  is  usual  with  most  specimens,  whether  they  are  recent  marine, 
or  either  recent  or  fossil  fluviatile  ones.  This  difference  is  prob- 
ably due  to  different  degrees  of  hydration." 

III. 

My  direct  observations  have  been  made  on  a  series  of  special  type- 
slides,  all  of  which  are  open  to  inspection  to  an}r  persons  interested 
in  the  subject.  These  slides  were  mostly  prepared  for  me  by  Mr. 
E.  Thum,  of  Leipzig,  with  unparalleled  care,  patience,  and 
dexterity,  and  I  am  highly  indebted  to  him  for  my  very  best 
material  and  for  many  very  remarkable  diatoms,  mounted  in  various 
media,  and  showing  structure  better  than  any  I  possessed  before. 

All  critical  cases  I  have  examined  under  dry  objectives,  water- 
immersion  glasses,  and  the  homogenous  lenses  in  my  possession, 
namely  :  one-twenty-fifth  and  one-sixteenth  horn,  imm.,  by  Powell 
and  Lealand  ;  one-tenth  and  one-fourth  horn,  imm.,  by  Spencer, 
of  Geneva,  N.Y.  ;  and  one-eighth  horn,  imm.,  by  Zeiss  ;  all  glasses 
of  most  recent  make  and  of  very  great  excellence. 

Every  diatom,  or  fragment  of  a  diatom,  has  been  examined  by 
me  both   by  transmitted    and    by  reflected   light,  by   direct  and 


312  J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE. 

oblique  light ;  mounted  dry  or  in  media  of  refractive  indices 
varying  from  that  of  ordinary  Canada  balsam  to  the  celebrated  2*4 
of  Prof.  H.  L.  Smith. 

It  is  only  by  thus  varying  all  the  conditions  of  microscopic 
vision  and  reasoning  upon  the  various  images  produced,  that  any 
hope  can  be  entertained  of  forming  a  definite  opinion,  such  as  I 
have  formed,  as  to  the  real  ultimate  constitution  of  the  Diatom 
valve,  one  of  the  most  difficult  problems  which  the  microscopist 
can  be  called  upon  to  solve. 

IV. 

The  careful  examination  of  good  photographs  has  in  many  cases 
been  of  great  help  to  me  in  the  interpretations  of  minute  details. 

V. 

The  presence  of  bubbles  of  air  within  the  valves  of  a  frustule,  or 
covered  over  by  a  single  isolated  valve  standing  on  its  free  edge, 
while  fluids  such  as  benzine  are  gradually  poured  upon  it,  and 
which  I  have  frequently  noticed,  preclude  the  existence  of  orifices 
clear  through  the  valve  by  which  the  gas  would  freely  escape.  I 
have  also  never  noticed  bubbles  of  air  within  the  areola  of  any 
recent  diatoms,  while  I  have  many  slides  of  fossil  diatoms  with 
corroded  surfaces,  where  this  phenomenon  can  be  shown  frequently 
without  any  difficulty. 

VI. 

I  have  in  my  collection  a  series  of  well-mounted  slides,  which 
have  proved  to  my  satisfaction  the  following  facts  most  of  which 
are  corroborative  of  previous  observations  by  others : 

(a.)  That  the  shell  of  most  diatoms  consists  of  a  double  plate. 

(b.)  That  between  these  two  plates  there  exist  a  greater  or 
lesser  number  of  cavities  surrounded  by  solid  walls  of  silica.  These 
cavities  are  circular  or  hexagonal  in  outline. 

(c.)  That  in  all  recent  living  and  perfect  valves  the  cavities  are 
closed  at  the  top  by  the  upper  plate,  and  at  the  bottom  by  the 
lower  plate,  and  that  these  plates  show  no  signs  of  orifices,  but 
only  of  thinnings  over  the  cavities,  except  in  abnormal  cases  where 
the  organic  cuticle  has  been  partially  or  totally  destroyed  by 
accidental  causes. 

(cZ.)  That  the  external  membrane  is  in  most  cases  so  slightly 
silicious  that  even  slight  contact  with  acids  promptly  destroys  it 
and  opens  up  the  cavities  at  the  back  of  it.     That  in  other  cases 


J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE.  313 

this  membrane,  which  is  generally  thinner  in  the  middle  portion  of 
the  areola?,  does  really  occasionally  become  highly  silicified,  and 
may  support  particles  or  granules  of  highly  refractive  silica  placed 
over  the  so-called  "  eye  spots,"  in  which  case  the  cavities  must  be 
hermetically  sealed  on  both  sides  to  all  but  osmotic  influences. 

(e.)  That  the  lower  closing  membrane  of  the  areolae  frequently 
carries  various  designs,  the  nature  of  which,  on  account  of  their 
minuteness,  has  not  yet  been  well  established,  but  which  must 
depend  upon  structure,  as  no  diffraction  images  produced  by  any 
organisation  lying  at  a  lower  level  can  be  the  cause  of  them,  as  no 
such  lower  organisation  exists  below  this  bottom  or  closing  internal 
diaphragms. 

(/.)  That  the  thin  upper  membrane  of  the  areola?  forms  the 
extensions  of  the  edges  of  the  so-called  "  nail-headed  "  bars  which 
form  the  limiting  walls  of  the  areola?  as  figured  by  Otto  Miiller,  by 
Dr.  Flogel,  and  by  Messrs.  Prinz  and  Van  Ermengem.* 

(g.)  That  the  cavities  in  the  valve  are  bounded  by  walls  of  solid 
silica.  That  these  walls  often  extend  beyond,  above,  or  below  the 
closing  membranes  of  the  areola?,  and  that  they  frequently  run 
into  points  or  spines  of  various  shapes  and  lengths,  which  project 
beyond  the  valve  between  the  areola?. 

(h.)  That  the  median  slit  or  fissure,  which  is  observed  to  run 
through  the  rachis,  or  thickened  median  line  of  most  of  the 
Navicular,  is  also  closed  top  and  bottom  by  a  very  thin  organic 
slightly  silicified  membrane  in  recent  normal  valves.  I  believe,  how- 
ever, that  minute  apertures  may  exist  in  these  narrow  closing 
membranes  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  central  and  of  the  terminal 
nodules,  but  this  is  a  subject  requiring  further  elucidation. 

(j.)  That  the  so-called  "  secondary '  or  internal  valves — 
"  Regenerationshiille " — of  some  Diatoms  do  not  exist  in  the 
very  young  valves,  a  fact  which  gives  us  the  reason  why  the 
frustules,  which  are  formed  of  an  old  and  of  a  younger  valve, 
generally  split  up  into  an  odd  number  of  secondary  valves,  either 
three,  or  five.  It  is  my  belief  that  the  young  secondary  valves 
are  always  perforate  at  first,  but  that  as  they  grow  older  siicces- 

*  In  most  fossil  diatoms  and  in  nearly  all  specimens  boiled  in  acids,  the 
external  film  closing  the  areola  has  disappeared,  and  the  valve  has  in  con- 
sequence become  really  perforate  on  the  upper  surface.  In  some  cases  the 
lower  plate  has  also  ended  by  presenting  orifices,  so  that  the  sections 
examined  by  the  above-named  microscopists  really  showed  what  they  have 
figured  in  the  plates  accompanying  their  various  papers. 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  16.  b  b 


314  J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE   OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE. 

sive  depositions  of  silica  generally  take  place,  which  end  by 
obliterating  the  orifices,  and  in  some  cases  fill  these  quite  up  by 
dense  and  projecting  masses  of  silica  of  a  higher  refractive  index 
than  the  substance  proper  of  the  surrounding  shell,  so  as  to  appear 
as  red  or  pink  coloured  granules  on  a  greenish  ground  under  the 
best  immersion  lenses. 

(£.)  That  the  connective  zones  or  bands  of  some  genera,  such 
as  Isihmia,  are  really  and  truly  perforate. 

(/.)  That  the  so-called  "  areola*,"  "  beads,"  "  pores,"  "  orifices," 
"  granular  projections,"  "depressions,"  "hexagons,"  "  moniliform 
dots,"  "puncta,"  etc.,  of  authors  are  all  one  and  the  same  thing 
under  varying  microscopical  interpretations,  idiosyncrasies,  or  pre- 
conceived ideas. 

VII. 

If  I  may  be  allowed  the  free  expression  of  my  opinion  on  the 
vexed  question  of  the  real  structure  of  the  Diatom  valve,  I  would 
say  that  I  attribute  to  diffractive  images  the  existence  of  the 
appearances  seen  by  many  observers  in  the  Diatom  valve,  and  that 
I  further  believe  the  perpetuation  of  erroneous  views  on  the  subject 
resides  in  the  nearly  insurmountable  difficulty  which  exists  of 
rightly  interpreting,  or,  in  other  words,  of  reducing  to  their  true 
meaning,  optical  phenomena  of  a  most  bewildering  and  complex 
character. 

Prof.  Abbe's  statement  should  never  be  lost  sight  of  by  the 
Diatomo-microscopist  when  he  tells  us  (and  proves  it)  that  what 
we  actually  see  through  our  instruments  in  looking  at  very  minute 
objects  is  not  what  the  eye  should  see,  but  a  something  generally 
very  different  indeed  from  it. 

VIII. 

HISTORICAL. 

As  over  two  hundred  different  papers  have  been  published  on 
the  structure  of  the  Diatom  valve,  I  hope  I  may  be  excused  if  I 
confine  myself  in  these  pages  to  a  few  words  regarding  what  has 
been  written  on  the  subject  of  my  present  communication,  and  if  I 
limit  what  I  have  to  say  to  the  history  of  the  valve  of  Triceratium, 
which,  of  all  others,  I  consider  the  easiest  of  demonstration  and  of 
verification,  and  which  may,  I  think,  be  taken  as  typical  of  all 
Diatom  structure  in  general. 

Omitting  mention  of  work  done  more  than  fifteen  years  back,  we 


X 


J.  DEBY  ON  THE  8TEUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE.      315 

have,  in  1872,  Dr.  J.  J.  "Woodward  *  expressing  his  views,  sub- 
stantiated by  photographs,  on  the  structure  of  Triceratium ,  but  his 
written  description  proves  that  he  had  but  a  very  indistinct  idea 
of  the  real  nature  of  what  he  had  under  his  eye,  and,  in  fact,  that 
he  confounded  the  inner  with  the  outer  surface  of  the  valve. 

Dr.  Woodward  had  not  then  seen  Otto  Miiller's  nearly  exhaus- 
tive treatise  f  on  the  valve  of  Triceratium,  published  one  year 
anteriorly,  in  which  the  German  author  gives  his  opinion  that  the 
areolae  are  closed  at  the  bottom  (or  internally  to  the  valve)  by  a 
dotted  membrane  ;  that  the  sectional  view  of  the  partitions 
separating,  the  hexagonal  alveolae  are  "  nail-headed,"  as  subse- 
quently also  figured  by  Prinz  and  Van  Ermengem,  and  better 
still  by  Flogel,  and  that  the  upper  diaphragm  winch  closes  ex- 
ternally the  areolae  is  pierced  by  a  central  circular  orifice.  All 
these  details  are  exhibited  in  the  plate  accompanying  0.  Miiller's 
instructive  memoir. 

At  about  the  same  time  we  find  Prof.  Adolf.  Weiss  reading  a 
paper  before  the  Academy  of  Sciences  of  Vienna, \  in  which  he  ex- 
hibited the  complex  structure  of  the  valve  of  Triceratium,  which 
he  considers  as  really  "  multicellular,"  each  hexagon  forming  for 
him  a  distinct  organic  cell,  and  where  he  tries  to  explain  certain  of 
the  microscopical  appearances  as  due  to  variations  in  hydration  of 
the  cellular  substance.  These  views  and  others  expressed  by  him 
cannot  seriously  be  entertained  at  the  present  day,  and  I  shall  dis- 
miss them  here  without  any  discussion. 

At  this  period,  Mr.  J.  W.  Stephenson, §  by  a  most  admirable 
comparison  of  the  valves  of  Coscinodiscus  mounted  dry  and  in  the 
highly  refractive  bisulphide  of  carbon,  arrived  at  the  conclusion 
that  the  "  eye  spots  "  were  perforations  of  the  "  inner  "  plate,  and 
that  these  "eye  spots  "  could  be  neither  concave  nor  convex  films 
of  silica,  in  which  last  conclusion  he  is  no  doubt  right. 

In  1874  Mr.  J.  W.  Morehouse  describes  the  valve  of  Tri- 
ceratium as  formed  of  two  films,  and  expresses  his  belief  in  their 
continuity,  and  that  fine  markings  exist  on  both  the  upper  and 
lower  diaphragms  of  the  areolae.  This  last  opinion  must  have  re- 
sulted from  an  excess  of  penetration  of  the  objectives  used,  which 
showed  both  films  at  a  time. 

*  "  The  Lens,"  Chicago,  1872,  Vol.  i,  p.  100. 

t  "  Archiv.  f.  Anat.  u.  Physiol.,"  1871,  Vol.  xv,  p.  618. 

X  "  Sitzb.  d.  Akad.  d.  Wiss."  Vol.  lxiii,  Pt.  I. 

§  "  Month.  Micr.  Jourl.,"  Vol.  x,  1873,  p.  1. 


316    J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE. 

\ 

VTe  next  come  to  the  researches  of  Messrs.  Prinz  and  Van 
Ermengem,*  who  studied  in  particular  the  fossil  Diatoms  from 
the  Cement  Stone  of  Jutland  and  the  London  Clay.  These 
observers  being  experienced  microscopists,  but  unfortunately  not 
special  students  of  the  Diatom acea?,  omitted  to  compare  the  fossil 
with  the  recent  analogous  forms,  and  were  thus  led  to  generalize 
upon  insufficient  data  when  they  stated  that  the  Diatom  valve  is  a 
sieve-like  organism.  These  really  conscientious  observers  would, 
I  feel  confident,  have  come  to  other  conclusions  had  they  had  an 
opportunity  of  examining  some  of  the  typical  slides  of  recent 
Diatoms  in  my  possession. 

The  most  elaborate  of  recent  researches  on  the  Diatom  valve 
are  those  published  and  copiously  illustrated  by  Dr.  J.  H.  L. 
Flogel,f  in  which  the  results  coincide  in  almost  every  point  with 
those  previously  arrived  at  by  Otto  M tiller. 

During  the  same  year  Mr.  J.  D.  Cox  J  undertook  a  careful 
study  of  the  Diatom  valve  and  its  fragments.  I  cannot,  however, 
fully  endorse  all  his  conclusions,  but  give  them  here  in  his  own 
words  : — 

"  We  have  thus  been  led  to  the  conclusion  that  the  Triceratium 
is  formed  of  two  laminae  connected  by  a  hexagonal  network,  of 
which  the  areolae  are  about  as  deep  as  the  diameter  of  the 
hexagons  ;§  that  the  inner  of  these  laminae  is  finely  dotted  with 
lines  of  punctae  radiant  from  the  centre  of  the  triangle  ;  and  that 
the  outer  lamina  is  very  thin  over  the  centre  of  each  hex  agon,  to  which 
it  is  firmly  connected  by  the  walls  of  the  areola?,  which  are  thickened 
so  as  to  give  a  hemispherical  interior  form  to  the  upper  end  of  each." 

Further  on  ||  Mr.  Cox  adds  : — 

"  I  have  received  from  Mr.  Thomas  Christian,  of  Richmond, 
Va.,  a  slide  containing  a  valve  of  Triceratium  Favus,  which,  whilst 
he  was  endeavouring  to  pick  it  up,  split  into  two  films,  the  inner 
with  its  markings  of  dots  in  radial  lines  wholly  separating  from 
the  outer,  which  had  deep  hexagonal  cells  closed  with  the  exterior 
film,  with  markings  or  '  eye  spots.'  The  inner  film  has  also  the 
outline  of  the  hexagons  upon  it,  being  the  mark  of  the  attachment 

*  "  Amer.  Soc.  Belz.  Micr.,"  1884  and  1885. 
t  "  Jourl.  Roy.  Micr.  Soc,"  1884,  Vol.  iv,  p.  665. 
I  "  Amer.  Jourl.  of  Micr.,"  1884,  Vol.  iv.,  p.  837 ;  Vol.  v,p.  54. 
§  This  assertion  I  cannot  accept  in  a  general  way,  as  the  depth  is  most 
variable  in  different  species  of  the  same  genus. — J.  D. 
||  «  Amer.  Jl.  of  Micr.,"  p.  108. 


J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE.     317 

to  the  hexagonal  cells.  Mr.  Christian's  specimen  of  Triceratium 
is  the  first  example  of  the  entire  separation  of  the  laminae  which  I 
have  met  with  in  that  species."  His  later  papers  confirm  his  pre- 
vious opinions. 

My  friend,  Dr.  H.  Van  Heurck,  of  Antwerp,  in  his  synopsis  of 
Belgian  Diatoms  *  supports  the  views  of  Mr.  Cox. 

Judging  from  the  beautiful  plates  of  the  genus  Triceratium  in 
the  last  numbers  published  of  A.  Smidt's  Atlas,  I  believe  this 
acute  observer  and  admirable  draftsman  must  hold  similar  opinions 
as  Mr.  Cox  and  Van  Heurck. 

Last  year  Dr.  G.  C.  Wallichf  refers  to  the  views  of  Dr. 
Flogel  and  of  Mr.  Cox,  and  tries  to  oppose,  upon  physical  grounds, 
and  not  without  force,  the  opinions  of  the  latter  author  when  he 
states  that  the  alveola  are  in  all  cases  hermetically  sealed  cavities. 

From  all  I  have  said  above,  it  may  be  inferred  that  I  reject  the 
"  porous  theory  "  of  the  Diatom  valve  if  the  orifices  are  to  be 
understood  as  perforating  the  whole  substance  of  the  valve  so  as  to 
allow  of  contact  between  the  living  matter  of  a  Diatom  and  the 
exterior  through  properly  so-called,  and  visible,  apertures.  I  con- 
sider the  "  eye  spots  "  to  consist  in  the  living  valve  of  an  organic 
cuticle  which  is  seldom  highly  silicified.  This  cuticle  is  very 
readily  destroyed,  in  which  case  the  orifices  in  the  thickness  of  the 
valve  become  open  at  one  end  at  the  place  where  the  "  eye  spot ' 
existed,  while  in  all  cases  where  great  corrosion  has  not  taken 
place  these  cavities  or  areolae  in  the  valve  are  closed  at  the 
bottom  by  a  stretched  and  continuous  siliceous  film  of  considerable 
thickness  as  compared  with  the  upper  one,  and  which  precludes 
the  protrusion  of  protoplasmic  filaments  and  all  direct  admission  of 
external  solid  substances  into  the  cavity  of  the  frustule. 

I  regret  I  cannot  concur  in  all  that  has  been  lately  said  on  the 
subject  of  the  orifices  in  the  Diatom  valve  by  some  of  the  sharpest 
and  certainly  most  skilful,  if  not  the  most  philosophical,  of  micro- 
scopical manipulators,  both  at  the  Quekett  Club  and  at  the  Royal 
Microscopical  Society's  meetings. 

To  all  microscopists  interested  in  the  final  solution  of  this  long- 
debated  question,  I  tender  an  invitation  |    to    come   and   satisfy 

*  "  Synop.  des  Diat.  de  Belgique,"  Text.,  p.  35. 

f  u  Engl.  Mech.,"  xl,  1885,  p.  496  ;  and  '«  Jourl.  R.  Micr.  Soc,"  1885, 
Vol.  v,  p.  286. 

X  Microscopists  will  generally,  when  I  am  not,  as  occasionally  happens, 
absent  upon  professional  business,  find  me  at  home  from  10.30  a.m.  to  5  p.m., 
and  from  7  to  10  p.m.  on  Saturdays. 


3L8    J.  DEBY  ON  THE  STRUCTURE  OF  THE  DIATOM  VALVE. 

themselves  by  the  examination  of  both  recent  and  fossil  slides  in 
my  possession,  and  plates  and  photographs  accompanying  various 
papers  on  the  subject.  I  have  full  confidence  that  they  will,  after 
such  an  examination,  form  a  definite  opinion,  coinciding  with  my 
own.  It  is  very  difficult  and  rather  perilous  to  exhibit  such 
delicate  subjects  at  a  public  meeting  under  a  -^  or  -^  inch  objec- 
tives, and  for  these  reasons  I  should  much  prefer  a  private  exhibit  in 
mv  own  studio. 


319 


Note  on  a  Salt-Water  Monad. 

By  E.  M.  Nelson. 

(Read    June    25th,    1886.J 

Last  year  I  placed  some  jelly-fish  in  a  12oz.  bottle  of  fresh  sea- 
water.  In  about  a  week  all  the  jelly-fish  were  dead  with  the  exception 
of  one,  which  kept  alive  for  three  or  four  months .  The  bottle  was  not 
touched,  and  on  examination  this  year  I  found  a  brownish  growth 
on  the  sides  and  bottom  of  the  bottle,  and  a  slight  growth  of  a  green 
alga.  Microscopical  examination  revealed  the  presence  of  an 
enormous  quantity  of  amaabaj,  and  small  uni-flagellate  monads. 
The  monads  swam  rapidly  with  a  wavy,  rotary  motion.  After  a 
little  while  the  motion  became  jerky,  a  monad  bounding  forward 
short  distances,  frequently  stopping  for  an  instant  to  change  its 
direction.  The  distance  of  its  forward  movement  gradually 
shortened,  till  at  length  it  did  not  leave  the  field  of  a  high  power 
(1,000  diam.).  During  all  this  time  the  flagellum  could  be  easily 
seen.  The  linear  motion  now  became  changed  to  a  rotary  motion, 
the  flagellum  was  much  shortened  and  was  difficult  to  observe. 
The  organism,  moreover,  gradually  assumed  a  spherical  form.  When 
the  rotary  motion  had  well  set  in  it  was  very  rapid,  and  nothing 
more  could  be  seen  of  the  flagellum.  During  the  rotary  motion  the 
organism  did  not  travel  about,  but  kept  to  one  place.  The  rotary 
motion  gradually  slowed  down  until  it  stopped.  The  monad  was  a 
reddish-brown  colour  and  contained  a  spot  like  a  cell  nucleus,  rod- 
shaped  bodies  like  bacteria,  and  minute  dots  like  micrococci.  A 
moment  after  the  rotary  motion  of  the  monad  had  stopped  a  move- 
ment among  a  few  of  the  micrococcal  forms  began.  This  movement 
was  soon  communicated  to  the  rest,  and  also  to  the  rod-shaped 
bodies.  The  organism  gradually  lost  its  colour  and  consistence, 
soon  becoming  nothing  more  than  a  transparent  globe  filled  with 
moving  bacteria.  In  some  instances  it  burst,  when  a  portion  of  the 
bacteria  escaped  and  swam  off.  On  one  occasion,  when  one  burst,  I 
saw  the  flagellum — which  appeared  to  be  of  full  length — thrown 


320  E.    M.    NELSON    ON    A    SALT-WATER    MONAD. 

out ;  but  it  as  quickly  disappeared.  I  had  no  means  of  measuring  an 
object  at  band,  but  the  organism  in  its  spherical  form  was  about  the 
size  of  a  salivary  corpuscle.  I  regard  the  motion  of  the  particles 
inside  these  monads  as  due  to  free-swimming  bacteria  and  not  to 
Brownian  movement  ;  for  when  a  salivary  corpuscle  bursts  the 
movement  ceases,  and  the  particles  do  not  swim  away  as  in  the 
case  of  this  monad.  There  are,  moreover,  no  rod-shaped  bodies 
in  the  salivary  corpuscle. 


321 


On  a  Fossil  Marine  Diatomaceous    Deposit    from    Oamaru, 

Otago,  New  Zealand. 

By  E.  Grove  and  G.  Sturt,  F.F.R.M.S. 

PART  I. 

Plates  XVIII,  XIX. 

(Taken  as  Read  July  23rd,  1SS6.J 

This  very  interesting  deposit  was  first  brought  to  our  notice  by 
H.  Morland,  Esq.,  a  member  of  this  Club.  We  are  indebted  to 
him  not  only  for  the  first  supply  of  the  material,  but  also  for  the 
assistance  he  has  rendered  in  furnishing  many  beautiful  picked  slides 
of  the  rarer  forms.  For  a  further  supply  of  the  deposit  we  have  to 
acknowledge  the  kind  aid  of  Sir  Julius  von  Haast,  K.C.M.G.  The 
deposit  consists  mainly  of  diatomaceous  remains,  with  a  small  pro- 
portion of  Radiolaria,  and  Sponge  spicula.  Further  information  is 
necessary  before  the  geological  age  and  position  of  the  deposit  can 
be  ascertained,  but  from  the  information  at  present  before  us,  we 
understand  that  it  was  found  in  the  Cave  Valley,  Oamaru,  situated 
immediately  beneath  a  series  of  Limestone  strata  known  as  the 
Otatara  Limestone  series  belonging  to  the  Lower  Tertiary  (Oligo- 
cene)  age.  There  is  a  remarkable  similarity  between  this  deposit 
and  the  well-known  one  from  the  Cambridge  Estate,  Barbadoes. 
Several  of  the  forms  occurring  here  have,  we  believe,  hitherto  only 
been  met  with  in  that  deposit.  The  family  BiddulphiEe,  as  in  the 
Barbadoes,  is  strongly  represented  by  the  genus  Triceratium, 
which,  for  the  sake  of  convenience,  we  still  retain.  Of  this  genus 
alone  we  have  noticed  over  30  species  or  distinct  varieties.  There 
also  seems  to  be  a  connection  between  the  Simbirsk  deposit  and 
this,  as  some  of  the  Simbirsk  forms  occur  with  only  a  slight  varia- 
tion. Several  of  the  species,  notably  those  of  Mastogloia  and 
Amphora,  still  exist  in  the  Indian  Ocean. 

For  the  drawings  from  which  the  plates  are  engraved  we  are 
indebted  to  the  valuable  aid  of  A.  M.  Warner,  Esq.,  of  Saltburn- 
by-Sea,  and  H.  F.  Hailes,  Esq.,  our  editor,  to  both  of  whom  we 


£22  E.    GROVE    AND    G.    STURT    OX 

tender  our  hearty  thanks.  We  have  also  to  acknowledge  the  kind 
aid  and  assistance  rendered  by  Dr.  Stolterfoth,  of  Chester,  and  by 
Mr.  F.  Kitton,  in  the  examination  and  identification  of  species  ; 
and  of  Mr.  Rattray,  of  Dundee,  in  the  preparation  of  magnificent 
picked  slides. 

In  the  course  of  a  careful  examination  of  many  slides  we  have 
observed  the  following  genera  and  species.  In  addition  to  these, 
some  extremely  doubtful  forms  occur,  which  for  the  present  are 
omitted,  as  they  require  considerable  further  investigation  : — 

Cymbelle^e. 

Amphora  labuensis,  Cleve  ("  Vega  Exp.,"  p.  493,  PI.  35,  Fig. 
10), — Scarce. 

A.  cingulata,  Cleve  ("  W.  I.  D.,"  p.  9,  PI.  3,  Fig.  15). —One 
specimen  observed  closely  resembling  the  figure  in  A.  Schni.  Atl., 
PI.  26,  Fig.  17,  but  with  a  less  clearly  developed  "cingulum." 

A.  crassa,  Greg.  ("  G.  D.  C,"  p.  52,  PI.  6,  Fig.  94).— One 
specimen  observed. 

A.  sp.  ?  sp.  ? — Some  doubtful  fragments  detected. 

CoCCONEIDE^E. 

Cocconeis  barbadensis,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  1864,  p.  14,  PI.  11, 
Fig.  10). — Occurs  sparingly,  and  is  smaller  and  more  lanceolate 
than  Greville's  figure.  The  median  line  is  undulate,  and  the  form 
is  probably  an  Orthoneis.     Longest  diam.,  about  '003". 

C.  pseudo-marginata^&x.  intermedia,  Grun.  ("Nov.  Exp.,"  p. 
13,  PI.  1,  Fig.  6). — Not  uncommon. 

Campyloneis  {Grevillei  var.  ?)  argus,  Grun.  ("  V.  H.  Syn.  Belg. 
Diat.,"  PI.  28,  Fig.  16).— Not  uncommon. 

Mastogloia  reticulata,  Grun.  (Honduras  Diatoms,  in  "M.  M.  J.," 
1877,  p.  175,  PI.  195,  Fig.  4). — Closely  resembles  Grunow's  form, 
but  is  much  longer  (up  to  *007").     Three  specimens  observed. 

NAVICULACE.E. 

Navicula  apis,  Ehr.  (Donk.,  "  Brit.  Diat.,"  p.  48,  PI.  7,  Fig.  3). 
— A  small  form,  exactly  resembling  Donkin's  figure.  Two  or  three 
larger  specimens  have  occurred  up  to  '004"  in  length  ;  rather  less 
constricted,  and  approaching  N.  didyma,  Ehr. 

N.  Smithii,-  var.  nitescens,  Greg.  ("  G.  D.  C,"  p.  15,  PI.  9,  Fig. 
16). — Scarce. 

N.  gemmata,  Grev.  ("  Ed.  New  Phil.  Journ.,"  Vol.  x,  p.  30,  PI. 
4.  Fig.  7  ;  vars.  A.  Schm.,  "Atl.,"  PI.  8,  Figs.  38.42).— Eare. 


X 


A    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMACEOU8    DEPOSIT.  323 

JN.prcetexta,  Ehr.  (Greg.,  "  D.  C,"  p.  9,  PI.  9,  Fig.  11).— 
Small  and  scarce.  Some  specimens  closely  resemble  N.  Californica, 
Grev.  ("  Ed.  New  Phil.  Jour.,"  Vol  x,  p.  29,  PI.  4,  Fig.  5). 

N.  sparsipunctata,  Gr.  &  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  broad,  oval  ;  ends 
subacute.  A  line  of  closely- set  puncta  on  each  side  of  the  raphe, 
leaving  a  narrow  clear  space,  slightly  enlarged  around  the  central 
nodule.  Margin  furnished  with  a  line  of  oblong  puncta,  within 
which  is  a  narrow  clear  band.  The  rest  of  the  surface  dotted  over 
with  puncta,  forming  sparse,  irregular,  radiating  lines.  Not  very 
scarce.     Length,  -006";   breadth,  -004".     (PI.  XVIII,  Fig.  1.) 

N.  interlineata,  Gr.  &  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  broad,  oval  ;  ends  sub- 
acute and  slightly  produced  ;  surface  covered  with  dotted,  sub- 
radiant  stria?,  about  17  in  •001",  interrupted  by  a  narrow  clear  space 
on  each  side  at  about  one-third  of  the  distance  between  the  central 
line  and  the  margin,  extending 'symmetrically  with  the  margin 
nearly  to  the  ends  of  the  valve.  Scarce.  Length,  -005" ;  breadth, 
•003«.     (PI.  XVIII,  Fig.  2.) 

N.  (Alloioneis  ?)  Grundlerii,  Cleve  &  Grun.  (CI.,  "  Diat.  of 
W.  I.  Archipelago,"  p.  7,  PI.  11,  Fig.  10).— Length,  -004"; 
breadth,  '0017".  Stria?  radiant,  dotted,  30  in  *001".  The  median 
line  not  so  eccentric  as  in  Cleve's  figure,  and  the  stria?  more  radiant, 
but  in  all  other  respects  agreeing  closely.    One  specimen  observed. 

Entopyle^e. 

Gephyria  incvrvata  Arnott  ("  Pritch.,"  p.  809,  PI.  4,  Fig.  50). 

— Scarce. 

Fragilarie^e. 

Glyphodesmis  marginata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  lanceolate 

with  rounded  ends,  and  distinct  centre  and  end  projections.     There 

is  a  clear  longitudinal  central  space,  and  the  margin  is  bordered 

with   two    rows    of   small    cellules.      Length,    -0026"  ;     breadth, 

•00057".     (PL  XVIII,  Fig.  3.) 

Synedre^e. 

Synedra  crystallina  (Ag.),  Kiitz  ("S.  B.  D.}"  p.  74,  PI.  12,  Fig. 

101). — Scarce. 

Eutilariej^. 

Eutilaria  radiata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  with  parallel  sides 

for  a  short  distance  at  centre,  then  tapering  more  or  less  rapidly  to 

the   subacute   ends.     Centre   and   ends  clear,   remainder  of  valve 

covered  with  sparse  radiating  lines  composed  of  dots,  about  35  in 

•00 1".     Central    process   large,   spiral.     Marginal   seta?.     Length 


324  E.    GROVE    AND    G.    STURT    ON 

from  -0022"  to  -0067"  ;  breadth   about  -0017".     Not  rare.     (PI. 
XVIII,  Figs.  4  and  5.) 

R.  lanceolata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  s.p. — Valve  narrow,  lanceolate, 
tapering  finely  to  the  subacute  ends.  Centre  and  ends  clear,  re- 
mainder covered  with  somewhat  irregular  transverse  dotted  lines, 
about  30  in  -001".  Central  process  small  but  distinct.  Marginal 
set*.  Length,  -0065"  ;  breadth,  -0007".  Very  rare.  (PI.  XVIII 
Fig.  6.) 

PSEUDO-RUTILARIA.       Nov.    SUBGENUS. 

We  have  formed  this  subgenus  for  the  reception  of  the  species 
described  below,  which,  while  resembling  Rutilaria  in  other 
characteristics,  is  without  the  central  clasping  process,  so  impor- 
tant a  feature  of  that  genus.  Perhaps  R.  recens  Cleve  ("  On  some 
New  Diatoms,"  Stockholm,  1881,  p.  19,  PI.  4,  Fig.  7)  may  be 
placed  here. 

Ps -rutilaria  monile,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — A  very  novel  and 
interesting  Diatom.  Valve  composed  of  circular  or  nearly  circular 
cells,  the  central  being  the  largest,  and  furnished  with  a  few 
scattered  spines.  On  each  side  are  a  number  of  similar  cells  (in 
our  specimens  from  8  to  11),  which  gradually  diminish  in  size  to 
the  end.  Length  about  -005".  The  margins  of  the  cells  project 
on  each  side  in  small  cusps,  each  of  which  bears  one  or  two  seta?. 
The  surface  of  the  valve  is  faintly  dotted.  In  the  frustular  view 
the  valves  are  seen  to  be  in  connection  at  the  centre  and  ends,  and 
the  processes  appear  to  grasp  each  other  as  in  Hemianlus,  the  inter- 
mediate space  being  occupied  by  the  setae.  (PI.  XVIII,  Figs.  7 
and  8.) 

Note. — In  all  the  specimens  observed  we  have  found  that  the 
number  of  cells  on  the  one  side  of  the  centre  exceeds  that  on  the 
other  side  by  one. 

Striatelle^e. 

Grammatophora  oceamca,  Ebr. — One  fragment  observed.  Strias 
50  in  -001". 

Isthmus. 

Isthmia  enervis,  Elir.  ("  V.  H.  Synop.,"  PI.  96,  Figs.  1,  2).— 
Fragments  not  unfrequent — corresponding  with  the  recent  form. 

Biddulphi.e. 
Biddulphia  Tuomeyii,  Bail  (Roper,  "  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  vii,  PI.  1, 
Figs.  1  and  2  ;   "  V.  H.  Synop.,"  PI.  98,  Figs.  2,  3).— Frequent. 


V 


A    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMACEOUS    DEPOSIT.  325 

B.  elegantula,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xiii,  p.  50,  PI.  6,  Figs. 
12). — Scarce,  but  identical  with  Greville's  species. 

B.  punctata,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xii,  p.  83,  PI.  11,  Fig. 
10). — Resembles  closely  Greville's  form,  but  more  oval.     Rare, 

B.  Oamarvensis,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  elliptical- oval,  with 
a  central  elevation  ;  the  whole  valve  covered  with  fine-radiating 
lines  of  granules  and  numerous  interspersed  minute  puncta.  On 
each  side  of  the  centre  opposite  to  one  another  are  two  large  spines; 
processes  inflated,  at  the  base,  truncate.  Distance  between  the 
processes,  -0053" ;  breadth,  -0023".  (PI.  XVIII,  Fig.  10.) 
Rare. 

B.  elaborata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  broadly  oval,  convex. 
At  the  centre,  which  is  inflated,  is  a  circle  of  small  close-set 
papillae  surrounded  by  a  clear  space,  from  which  radiating  lines  of 
round  cellules  run  to  the  margin.  The  cellules  near  the  centre 
are  smaller,  but  become  larger  towards  the  margin.  Between  each 
row  of  these  large  cellules  is  a  line  of  small  dots.  Two  long  stout 
stalks  terminating  in  a  cup-like  striated  expansion  project  from  the 
valve,  starting  from  circular  clear  spaces  on  each  side.  Length, 
•0083";  breadth,  -0054";  length  of  stalk,  -0025".  (PL  XVIII, 
Fig.  9.) 

We  have  some  hesitation  in  classing  this  very  remarkable  form 
as  a  Biddulphia.  It  is  allied  to  Greville's  B.  gigantea  ("  T.  M.  S.," 
Vol.  xii,  p.  13,  PI.  2,  Fig.  9)  from  Barbadoes.  The  two  forms 
might  well  form  a  new  genus. 

B.  virgata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  small,  oval,  convex,  with 
two  well-defined  transverse  clear  spaces,  becoming  inflated  towards 
the  ends.  Processes  formed  by  two  stalks,  projecting  from  clear 
spaces  at  the  extremities  of  the  valve.  The  stalks  terminate  in  a 
large  spherical  expansion,  the  surface  of  which  is  delicately  punc- 
tate. Surface  of  valve  furnished  at  the  centre  with  a  transverse 
band  of  scattered  granules  ;  before  each  process  is  a  similar  band 
of  granules,  but  more  crowded.  Length,  0033"  ;  breadth, 
•0024".     (PI.  XVIII,  Fig.  11.) 

In  the  specimen  we  figure,  the  expansions  are  broken  off. 

Cerataulus  subangulatus,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — Valve  subtri- 
angular  with  rounded  angles  ;  inflated,  with  three  submarginal  pro- 
cesses resembling  those  of  C.  turgidus,  and  2-4  strong  spines, 
sometimes  curved,  or  with  forked  ends  between  each  process. 
Surface  composed   of  rough    radiating   granules,   over   a  closely 


326  E.    GROVE    AND    G.    STURT    ON 

reticulated  structure.    Not  rare.    Breadth  over  widest  part,  "0053". 
(PI.  XIX,  Fig.  12.) 

C.  Johnsonianus  (Grew),  CI.  (Biddulphia  Johnsoniana,  Grew, 
"  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xiv,  p.  6,  PI.  2,  Figs.  14,  15).— Small,  rare,  about 
•003"  in  diameter. 

Triceratium  capitatum,  Ralfs.  (Grew  in  "  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  ix, 
p.  43,  PI.  4,  Fig.  10). — Frequent  and  more  robust  than  Greville's 
form.     Distance  between  the  angles,  about  •0027". 

T.  parallelum  (Ehr.),  Grev.  {forma  trigona,  A.  Schm.  "  Atl.,"  PI. 
75,  Fig.  13,  and  PI.  76,  Fig.  14-17.  Quadrangular  form  =  Amphite- 
tras  parallela  (Ehr.),  Grev.,  «T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xiii,  p.  104,  PI.  9, 
Fig.  22). — Triangular  form  frequent,  attaining  a  length  between  the 
angles  of  '0077".  The  quadrangular  form  is  also  not  uncommon,  and 
we  have  also  observed  the  pentagonal  variety.  Not  unfrequently  a 
triangular  form  occurs  with  very  convex  sides,  in  outline  closely  re- 
sembling T.  Harrisonianwn,  Grev.  in  "  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  ix,  p.  76,  PI. 
9,  Fig.  9,  but  smaller,  and  without  the  characteristic  veining.  It  can 
be  distinguished  as  "  var.  gibbosa."  The  figure  in  the  "  Atlas,"  PI. 
81,  Fig.  8,  is  very  similar. 

T.  Harrisonianum,  Norm,  and  Grev.  (Joe.  cit  supr.).— Our  form 
closely  resembles  the  figure  in  the  "  Atlas,"  PI.  75,  Fig.  16,  and 
should,  we  think,  be  classed  with  Stictodiscus. 

T.  favus,  Ehr. — The  type  form  occurs  rarely,  but  the  quad- 
rangular form  T.  favus  var.  quadruta,  Grun.  (Schm.  "  Atl.,"  PI. 
84,  Fig.  4,)  is  frequent,  attaining  a  distance  between  the  angles 
of  -008". 

T.  favus  var.  maxima,  Grun.  ("  V.  H.  Synop.,"  PI.  107,  Fig.  5=  T. 
grande,  Bright,  "  Q.  J.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  i,  p.  249,  PI.  4,  Fig.  8).— The 
triangular  form  is  not  uncommon  in  the  heavier  density,  and  nearly 
approaches  T.  Grunovii,  Jan.,  "  Atlas,"  PI.  85,  Fig.  5.  Distance 
between  the  angles,  '012";  cellules,  3  to  3^  in  '001".  Surface 
entirely  covered  with  lines  of  granules  25  in  '001",  which  radiate 
from  a  central  point.  In  some  forms  the  cellules  are  smaller,  not 
two-thirds  of  the  usual  size. 

T.  arcticum,  Bright  ("  Q.  J.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  i,  p.  250.— Quadrangular 
form  (T.  arcticum  var.  californica,  Grun.  Schm,,  "Atl.,"  PI.  81, 
Fig.  4)  not  rare.  The  triangular  form  ("Atl.,"  PI.  79,  Fig.  6) 
also  occurs,  attaining  a  length  between  the  angles  of  -013". 

T.  castellatum,  West  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  viii,p.  147,  PI.  7,  Fig.  3). 
— Frequent.      Some  forms  closely  resemble  T.umbilicatuni,  Ralfs. 


X 


A    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMACEOCS    DErOSIT.  327 

("  Pritch.,"  p.  854.     Bchm.  "  Atl.,"  PI.  94,  Fig.  11).     It  would 
seem  that  these  two  cannot  be  specifically  distinguished. 

T.  rotundatum,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  ix,  p.  75,  PI.  9,  Fig. 
6). — Rare,  but  identical  with   Greville's  figure. 

T.  venosum,  Bright  ("  Q.  J.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  iv,  p.  274,  PI.  17, 
Fig.  5). —  Occurs  sparingly. 

T.  coscinoides,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp. — In  outline  this  form,  which  is 
very  common,  resembles  T.  cinnamomeum,  Grev.  ("  Q.  J.  M.  S.," 
Vol.  iii,  N.  S.,  p.  232,  PI.  9,  Fig.  12  —  Cestodiscus  cinnamomeus , 
Grim.  "  V.  H.  Synop.,"  PI.  126,  Fig.  1),  but  in  other  respects  is 
quite  different.  The  surface  is  covered  with  small  hexagonal 
cellules,  which  are  larger  at  the  centre  but  gradually  decrease  in  size 
towards  the  margin.  Greville's  form  is  a  true  Cestodiscus,  with 
puncta  and  distinct  marginal  spines,  entirely  wanting  in  our  form. 
Distance  between  the  angles,  -0022"  to  -004"  ;  cellules  about 
12-13  in  -OOr.     (PI.  XIX,  Fig.  13). 

This  form  seems  only  to  be  a  three-angled  Coscinodiscus.  Gru- 
now,  in  the  "  Franz.  Jos.  Land  Diat.,"  p.  31,  mentions  a  similar 
form  from  the  Mors  deposit,  for  which  he  proposes  a  subgenus 
"  Pseudo-triceratium  "  ;  to  this  our  form  would  belong. 

T.partitum,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  B.,"  Vol.  xii,  p.  14,  PL  2,  Fig.  8).— 
Differs  from  Greville's  form  in  its  larger  size  and  greater  convexity 
of  the  sides,  which  in  his  description  are  stated  to  be  "  slightly 
concave  " ;  but  in  other  respects  resembles  it  so  closely  that  it 
would  hardly  be  advisable  without  further  investigation  to  create  a 
fresh  species.     Distance  between  the  angles,  *005". 

T.  divisum,  Grun.  (  "  V.  H.  Synop.,"  PL  113,  Fig.  8).— Rare. 
Distance  between  the  angles,  •0021".  A  well-defined  species, 
differing  from  T.  partitum,  Grev.,  in  the  septa  being  continuous, 
without  the  faint  interruption  in  the  middle,  and  in  the  absence  of 
the  second  septa,  cutting  off  the  angle  itself. 

T.  Kinkerianum,  Witt  (  "  Simbirsk,"  p.  33,  PL  8,  Fig.  10).— Not 
unfrequent.  A  variety  of  Witt's  species,  closely  resembling  the 
figure  in  the  "  Atlas  "  (PL  95,  Fig.  17),  but  larger  and  more  robust, 
with  prominent  angles,  covered  with  fine  puncta.  Distance  between 
the  angles,  '0054".  As  this,  on  further  investigation,  may  require 
to  be  separated  from  Witt's  species,  we  give  a  figure  at  PL  XIX, 
Fig.  14. 

T.  venulosum,  Grev.  ("T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xii,  p.  90,  PL  13,  Fig.  21). 
— Very  much  larger  than  Greville's  species,  and  might  be  distin- 


328  E.    GROVE    AND    G.    STURT    ON 

guishcd  as  "  var.  major  "  ;  in  other  respects  similar.  From  five 
to  seven  vein-like  lines  in  pairs  are  given  off  from  the  margin,  and 
the  pseudo-nodules  are  distinct.  The  valves  exhibit,  most  strik- 
ingly, the  peculiar  areolar  appearance.  Distance  between  the 
angles,  •0067,/.     Frequent.     (PI.  XIX,  Figs.  15,  1G.) 

T.  lobatum,  Grev.  (<<  Q.  J.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  hi,  N.S.,  p.  233,  PI.  9, 
Fig.  13). — Rare,  but  identical  with  Greville's  form. 

T.  denticulatum,  Grev.  ("  Q.  J.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  iii,  N.S.,p.  233,  PI. 
9,  Fig.  14). — Pare,  closely  resembling  the  type. 

T.  inelegans,  Grev.  var.  ("T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.xiv,  p.  8,  PI.  2,  Fig. 
21). — This  variety  closely  resembles  the  var.  micropore/,  Gran,  (in 
"  V.  H.  Synop.,"  PI.  110,  Fig.  3),  but  the  granules  are  fewer 
and  more  scattered.     Distance  between  the  angles,  *0022".     Pare. 

T.  unguiculatum,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xii,  p.  85,  PI.  11, 
Fig.  9). — Frequent.  The  processes  are  very  slender,  and  bent  out- 
wards, giving,  in  some  positions  of  the  valve,  the  appearance  of 
the  claws  delineated  in  Greville's  figure. 

T.  nitescens,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xiii,  p.  8,  PI.  2,  Fig.  19). 
— Very  rare,  but  identical  with  Greville's  species. 

T.  Weisii,  Grun.  (Witt  "  Simbirsk,"  p.  34,  PI.  7,  Fig.  9,  and 
PI.  12,  Fig.  3). — A  small  form,  very  scarce  in  the  lightest  density. 

T.  americanum,  Ralfs.  ("  Pritch.,"  p.  855  ;  Schm.  "  Atl.,"  PI. 
76,  Fig.  27).  (N.B.  In  the  "  Atlas  "  T.  americanum  and  T.  conde- 
corum  have  been  transposed,  Fig.  27  being  T.  americanum,  Fig. 
28  T.  condecorwn.) — A  variety  of  this  form  occurs  sparingly,  and 
has  great  affinity  with  T.  parallelum.  Some  valves  have  very 
concave  sides.  A  quadrangular  form,  "  var.  quadrata,"  also 
occurs  with  concave  sides,  and  an  umbilicus  of  small  puncta 
arranged  in  a  circle.  Distance  between  the  angles,  -0036".  This 
variety  in  its  aj)pearance  closely  approaches  Stictodiscus  ;  for  the 
present  we  leave  it  here. 

T.  cwlatum,  Janisch  (Schm.  "Atl.,"  PI.  81,  Fig.  19).— The 
original  example  we  have  not  seen  ;  so  it  is  with  hesitation  that 
we  identify  this  form,  which  is  somewhat  rare,  with  Janisch's 
species.  The  valve  is  nearly  flat,  with  straight  sides  and  radiating 
granules,  which  are  scattered  at  the  centre,  but  at  the  margin  are 
arranged  in  close-set  parallel  lines.  Distance  between  the  angles, 
•0083". 

T.  DohreZanum,  Grev.,  var.  nova  Zealandica,  n.  var.,  Gr.  and 
St. — This  form,  not  uncommon  in  the  deposit,  is  more  ornate  than 


X 


A    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMACEOUS    DEPOSIT.  329 

Greville's  type  form  in  "  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xiii,  p.  6,  PL  2,  Figs.  23 
and  24.  From  three  to  nine  vein-like  lines  project  from  each  side, the 
granules  are  more  numerous  and  closer  set,  and  the  processes  are 
not  so  elongated.  The  connecting  membrane  is  similar.  Distance 
between  the  angles,  •  009-1"  ;  a  smaller  form  also  occurs.  (PI. 
XIX,  Figs.  17,  18.)  This  may,  perhaps,  on  further  consideration 
require  separation  from  Greville's  species. 

T.  cancellatum,  Grev.  ("  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  xiii,  p.  9,  PI.  2,  Fig. 
17). — This  form,  which  occurs  not  unfrequently,  corresponds  to 
Greville's  description,  but  not  to  his  figure.  The  sides  of  the 
valve  are  nearly  straight ;  the  six  alternate  radiating  elevations 
and  depressions  are  distinct  in  some  forms,  while  in  others  they 
are  scarcely,  if  at  all,  perceptible.  The  commencement  of  two 
vein-like  lines,  projecting  inwards  from  the  sides,  are  usually 
quite  distinct.  As  we  are  in  doubt  whether  our  determination  is 
correct,  we  give  a  figure  at  PI.  XIX,  Fig.  19. 

T.  spinosum.  Bail,  var.  ornata,  n.  var.  Gr.  and  St.  (T.  spinosum, 
Bail,  A.  Schm.  "  Atl.,"  PI.  87,  Figs.  2,  3).— This  form  has  a  great 
resemblance  to  Amphitetras  ornata,  Shabbolt,  "  T.  M.  S.,"  Vol  ii,  p. 
16,  PI.  I,  Fig.  10,  the  quadrangular  form  of,  and  identical  with,  T. 
pentacrinus,  Wallich  "  Q.  J.  M.  S.,"  Vol.  vi,  p.  250,  PI.  12,  Figs. 
10-14.  (As  Greville  has  a  T.  ornatum,  in  order  to  prevent  confusion 
AVallich's  specific  name,  though  later  in  date,  had  better  be 
adopted.)  In  other  respects,  however,  this  form  is  nearer  to  T. 
spinosum.  We  have  only  observed  the  triangular  form,  which  has 
straight  or  slightly  concave  sides  and  horn-like  processes  at  each 
angle  ;  the  centre  is  slightly  inflated,  and  the  surface  of  the  valve 
is  covered  with  markings  resembling  those  of  T.  pentacrinus  ;  but 
with  the  addition  of  four  or  more  spines,  which  are  usually  broken 
off.     Distance  between  the  angles  -0032  .     (PI.  XIX,  Fig.  20.) 

DESCRIPTION     OF     PLATES. 
Plate  XVIII. 


Fig.     1.  Navicida  sparsi  punctata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  ^— . 
„        2.  „         interlineata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  ^. 

„       3.   Gh/phodesmis  marginata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  ~~. 
„       4.  Rutilaria  radiata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  ^. 

5;  5  }}         outline  of   small  form  showing  variation  in 

the  shape,  ^. 
„        G.  „         lanceolata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  i^. 

Journ.  Q.  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  16.  c  c 


330  ON    A    FOSSIL    MARINE    DIATOMACEOUS    DEPOSIT. 

Fig.     7.  Pseudo-rictilaria  monile,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  valve,  so°. 

8.  „  „        frnstular  view,  £n°. 

9.  Biddulphia  elaborata,  Gr.  and  St.,n.  sp.,-^9. 

10.  ,,  Oamaruensis,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  -5-li. 

11.  ,,  virgata,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  1^. 

Plate  XIX. 

12.  Cerataxdus  sulangulatus,  Gr.  and  St.,  n.  sp.,  £|£. 

13.  Triceratuim  coscinoides,  Gr.  and  St.,  u.  sp.,  ^9. 

14.  })  KinJcerianum,  -2-^. 

15.  „  venulosum  var.  major,  Gr.  and  St.,  valve,  3°°. 

16.  „  „  „     frustule,  Mp. 

17.  „  Dobreeanum  var.   »o«a   Zealandica,  Gr.  and  St., 

valve,  21©. 

18.  „  „  frustule,  2-J-°. 

19.  „  cancellation,  2-2-5. 

20.  „  spinosum  var.  omata,  Gr.  and  St.,  ^p. 


Journ.  QM.  C. 


.oi  2.  pi.xvirr. 


Fig 


Wept. Newman  &.  Co.  TitL . 


Journ.   Q.  M.  C. 


Ser.II.Vol  2.  PI.  XIX. 


O       O      O    0_n 
O       O      O     0    <fi 


oVo    »oo°o    00.0,0    «oo^ 


0 


0     °    0     _ 

00    o  00, 


rDoC>o0o0o00o0o0o;o°o0o0o-< 

-°Vo°o0o000oVo     0°0% 

Qo   0     0OO    0     0„<>      0      o     0 

-000    o     c„o    o    0  .  0_  o     0  nv  0  ~  o~0~0~o~9l 

^o!o>  0  0  o  o  ,:o:o:o;vo^ 

o:o:o!o!^o:OT 


c  *  o    00* 
Oo0o.o„o„o_o 


V/est ,  Newman  <Sb  Co  lith. . 


331 


PROCEEDINGS. 

April  9th,  1886. — Conversational  Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Larva  of  caddis  fly  ...         ...  Mr,  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Antenna  of  a  moth,  Fyycera  lucephala,  nat.  ^ 

form  and 'colour  ...  )  Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Pycnogonidece,  from  Naples      ...  Mr.  F.  Fitch. 

Cast  skin  of  pupa   and  image  of    Tanypus,  sp.  Mr.  J.  D.  Hardy. 

AgJaopihenia  pluma        ...         ...         ...         ...  Mr.  A.  D.  Michael. 

Section  of  "  Cementstein  "        Mr.  H.  Morland. 

Tubidipora,  from  Australia      ...         ...         ...  Mr.  B.  W.  Priest. 

UyOrocampo        ...         ...         ...         ...         ...  Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Section,  Nummulitic  Limestone  from  Eisen-7 

i      u   xj     „„..„  J     NT-  G.  Smith, 

bach,  Hungary ...  ...  ' 

Diatoms  from  Simbirsk  deposit  Mr.  G.  Sturt. 

Pollen  of  Mallow  Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Attendance — Members,  5U  ;  Visitors,  4. 


May  14th,  1886, —  Conversational  Meeting. 

An  exhibition  was  given,  in  the  Mathematical  Theatre,  by  Messrs  F.  H. 
Evaus  and  George  Smith,  with  the  oxy-hydrogen  lantern,  of  a  large  selection 
of  microscopic  objects,  photographed  direct  from  nature,  and  prepared  as 
lantern  slides  by  the  Woodbury  type  process.  The  series  embraced  a  wide 
variety  of  subjects  for  the  purpose  of  showing  the  suitability  of  the  process 
to  this  kind  of  illustration. 

The  following  address  by  Mr.  Evans  was  read  : — I  had  the  pleasure  last 
Wednesday  evening,  of  exhibiting  before  the  Royai  Microscopical  Society  the 
photo-micrographical  lantern  slides  presently  to  be  shown  to  you ;  and 
I  was  much  gratified  at  finding  the  spontaneously  expressed  opinion  of 
those  who  spoke  after  the  exhibition,  was,  that  the  chief  merit  of  the  slides 
consisted  in  their  educational  value,  from  their  great  truthfulness  to  nature, 
both  in  detail  and  general  aspect. 

The  point  I  want  you  to  notice  especially  this  evening  is  this :  drawings, 
however  exact  as  to  detail  generally,  fail  in  giving  an  air  of  naturalness  to 
the  representation,  and  suffer  .from  a  lack  of  depth,  roundness,  relief,  I 
might  almost  say  perspective,  and   are  consequently  flat  in  result.     One 


332 

feels  instinctively  that  it  is  the  work  of  the  draughtsman,  and  not  of  Nature. 
Of  course,  to  overcome  these  difficulties,  and  give  a  natural  representation 
by  photography  of  objects  that  have  various  focal  planes,  is  exceptionally 
difficult,  for  opticians  have  not  yet  given  us  object  glasses  that  will  show 
even  moderately  deep  objects  in  a  fairly  sharp-all-over  focus;  and  any 
lantern  slide  showing  an  object  sharp  in  one  plane,  and  blurred  out  of  focus 
in  the  rest,  is.  of  course,  utterly  valueless.  Now  that  the  optical  lantern  is 
coming  so  much  more  into  use  as  an  educational  accessory,  as  so  many  can 
at  one  time  and  so  effectively  be  taught  by  its  aid,  I  cannot  but  think  that  a 
series  of  photo-micrographs,  adequately  exhibiting  the  wonders  of  Nature 
in  her  minute  conditions,  must  be  of  great  value  educationally.  Drawings 
and  diagrams,  however  accurate,  have  not  that  hold  upon  the  imagination 
and  memory,  especially  in  the  young  and  untrained  mind,  that  a  forcible 
and  truthful  photo-micrograph  direct  from  Nature  would  have,  provided 
always  that  such  photographs  are  the  very  best  that  the  process  can 
be  made  to  yield,  and  what  that  best  is  has  not  been  demonstrated  yet. 
The  objects  that  pleased  most  on  Wednesday  at  the  "  Royal  "  were  those 
in  the  neglected  fields  of  illumination  by  spot  lens  or  reflected  light.  When 
some  years  ago  I  began  this  fascinating  work,  I  was  somewhat  discouraged 
by  finding  all  the  authorities  on  the  subject  agree  in  saying  that  no  good 
work  had  been,  or  could  be  expected  to  be,  dono  in  these  directions,  from  the 
great  and  inherent  difficulties  to  be  overcome.  As,  however,  the  objects  I 
most  wanted  photographs  of  were  in  these  classes,  I  determined  to  try  and 
disprove  this  opinion  of  the  experts  ;  with  what  success  I  shall  leave  you 
to  decide  ;  perfection  is  by  no  means  claimed  for  these  slides,  but  they 
are  shown  as  evidence  of  what  can  be  done  in  the  valuable  field  of 
photo-micrography.  Allowance  must  be  made  for  the  amount  of  mag- 
nification, which  varies  from  480  diameters  in  the  lowest  to  29,100 
in  the  highest.  With  regard  to  some  of  the  slides,  I  do  not  think  they 
could  be  improved  upon,  but  in  this  matter  I  am  like  the  Scotsman 
who  was  perfectly  willing  to  be  convinced,  but  added  :  "  Show  me  the  mon 
that  can  convince  me  !  "  I  really  am  very  desirous  of  seeing  better  slides. 
They  have  all  been  taken  with  the  usual  microscope  accessories,  in  all 
cases  using  the  A  eyepiece  ;  the  O.G.'s  were- of  the  finest  quality,  but  not 
specially  corrected  for  this  purpose,  and  no  account  has  ever  been  taken  of 
the  difference  between  the  visual  and  actinic  foci.  What  success  I  have 
achieved  has  been  mainly  due  to  exceeding  great  care  in  the  quality  and 
quantity  of  the  illumination,  using  the  ordinary  oil  lamp  and  bullseye 
condenser  ;  and  to  a  constant  resolve  to  be  satisfied  with  nothing  that  did 
not  do  full  justice  to  the  object  as  seen  at  its  ideal  best  under  the  micro- 
scope ;  also  to  be  content  with  nothing  that  seemed  capable  m  the  least 
degree  of  improvement.  The  photographic  image  has  in  no  way  been 
"  retouched  "  on  the  negative ;  the  only  treatment  the  negative  has  under- 
gone in  some  few  instances  has  been  the  legitimate  one  of  removing1 
dirt  marks,  etc.,  arising  from  imperfection  in  the  micro  mount,  these 
being  necessarily  photographed  with  the  object;  and  an  absolutely  clean 
micro  mount,  it  will  be  admitted,  is  not  a  common  thing. 


333 


These  efforts  to  reach  as  close  as  possible  to  a  natural  representation 
of  the  objects  would  quite  have  failed,  as  regards  lantern  slides,  had  I 
not  been  seconded  by  the  great  skill  and  patience  of  Mr.  George  Smith 
of  the  Sciopticon  Co.  ;  for,  after  all,  however  good  a  negative  may  be,  it  is 
not  the  goal,  but  only  the  means  to  the  end, — the  perfect  positive.  I  found 
that,  particularly  in  the  opaque  and  spot  lens  objects,  no  purely  photo- 
graphic positive  process  could  do  full  justice  to  the  delicate  detail  in  the 
negative,  without  sacrificing  beauty  and  truth  of  result  in  the  general  repre- 
sentation ;  but  in  the  perfection  to  which  Mr.  Smith  has  brought  lantern 
slides  by  the  Woodbury  type  process,  these  difficulties  have  disappeared,  and 
the  finest  details  are  adequately  represented,  while  the  general  beauty  of 
the  result  is  enhanced  by  the  rich  colour  and  pure  transparency  of  the  pig- 
ment employed  by  him.  Mr.  Smith  has  a  half-dozen  or  so  of  landscapes 
and  other  studies,  which  may  be  shown  you  after  the  micro  slides  have  been 
put  through,  and  thus  give  you  an  idea  of  the  excellence  of  the  ordinary 
lantern  slide.  A  great  feature  special  to  the  Woodbury  process  is,  that 
any  number  can  be  printed  identical  in  excellence  with  each  other ;  this 
again,  is  quite  impossible  by  any  purely  photographic  process.  The  follow- 
ing is  a  complete  list  of  the  slides  shown  : — 


u 

23. 

Echinus 

Spines- 

—Sections, 

group 

... 

•  •  •                   •  •  t 

9 

19 

21. 

Echinus 

Spines- 

-Section   ... 

34 

25. 

J5 

5> 

,, 

21 

21 

26. 

>> 

•» 

,, 

22 

27. 

>> 

)) 

,, 

26 

26 

28. 

n 

)> 

j,         ... 

18 

12 

29. 

»» 

J5 

j, 

18 

27 

30. 

Coralline ; 

Acarmarchis 

23 

■plumosa 

•  •  • 

...          ... 

14 

The  diameters  given  are  those  of  the  magnification  on  the  lantern  slide. 

No.  Diam.  No.  Diam. 

1.  Foraminifera,  grouped 

2.  Foraminifera      from      Porto 
Seguro 

3.  Foraminifera     from    Porto 
Seguro 

4.  Foraminifera     from     Porto 
Seguro 

5.  Ditto  from  Connemara 

6.  Ditto,  Lagence 

7.  Ditto,  Operculum   ... 

8.  Ditto,  Section  of  Nummulite 

9.  Ditto,  Quinqueloculina 

10.  Ditto,  Dentalina 

11.  Ditto,  Siliceous  Casts 

12.  Opliiocoma  JZosula  ... 

13.  Kay  of  ditto  

14.  Dental  Apparatus  of  ditto... 

15.  Dental  plates  of  ditto 

16.  Opliiocoma  neglecta 

17.  TJrasta  rubens 

18.  Polycistina,  grouped 
1  J.  it  )j 
20. 
21. 
22. 


31  31.  Coralline  ;    Acarmarchis 

27  fiabellata 

30  32.  Bicellaria grandis  ... 
16  33.  „         ciliata 

12  31.   Head  of  Butterfly 

19  35.         ,,         Tipula       

10  36.  Antenna  Vapourer  Moth  ... 
25  37.   Synapta,       Anchors       and 

8  Plates  

38.  Pinna  Shell — Section 
35  39.   Eider  Down 

28  40.  Scales  of  Fern         


„  Ceratospyris  ateuchus     62  41.  Fairy  Fly 

grouped       17  12.  Cecidomyia  ... 

42  43.  Oaklapple  Fly 


12 
14 

20 
10 
11 
10 

33 
66 
13 
38 
43 
32 
10 


334 


No.  Diam.  No. 

44.  Exnvia  or  Cast  Skin  of   Cer 
cop-sis  on  leaf 

45.  Scale  of  Perch 

46.  Sponge  Spicules 
47. 


>» 


>> 


48.  Winged  Parasite  of  Indian 

Bat  ... 

49.  Section  of  Chalcedony 

50.  ,,        ,,  Lapageria    rosea 

51.  Diatoms  on  Coralline 

Most  of  the  above  objects  were 
taken  as  illuminated  by  Spot 
Lens  or  by  Reflected  Light 
(opaque  objects),  except  Nos. 
38,  39,  40,  and  45,  these  being 
taken  by  Polarized  Light. 

The  following,  to  end  of 
list,  were  taken  by  Trans- 
mitted Light. 

52.  Flea  (human)  Male. 

53.  ,,  „         Female. 

54.  „     of  Cat 

55.  „     „  Wild  Rabbit. 

56.  Parasite  of  Ox. 

57.  ,,         ,,    Elephant. 

58.  Ovipositor  of  Saw-Fly. 

59.  Foot  of  House-Fly. 

60.  Proboscis  Blow-Fly  (portion 
of) 

61.  Palpi  of  Spider 


65.  Trachea  of  Silkworm 

17  66.  Pro-log  of  Moth-larva 
14     67.  Cirrhi  of  Barnacle  ... 
81     68.  Spiracle  of  Dytiscus 
40     69.  Eye  of  ditto  

70.  Pygidium  of  Flea   ... 

18  71.  Leiosoma  Palmacinctum    ... 
14     72.   Glyciphagus  phimiger 

18     73.  Maple  aphis... 

17     74.  Nycteribia — small  ... 

75.  ,,  of  Indian  Bat... 

76.  Abdominal  fringe  of  Nycte- 
ribia... 

77.  Parasite  of  Vampire  Bat  ... 

78.  Mange  Insect  of  Horse     ... 

79.  Foot  of  Parasite  of   Queen 
Bee,  Br  aula  caca... 

80.  Section  of  Sugar  Cane 

81.  ,,        „    Ovary  of    Poppy 

82.  „         „       „        of    Tiger 
Lily  ...         ...         ...  ... 

83.  Diatoms. 

84.  Arachnoidiscus   ornatus   on 
Coralline  (opaque  object)... 

85.  Triceratium  favus  ... 


Diam. 
..     34 

..     24 
..     14 


86.  „  quadratum 

87.  ,,  septangulatum 

88.  Licmophora  flabelleta 
124  88.  Anliscus  cartatus 

25  90.   Oephyria 

21  91.  Pinnularia  ... 


32 


1C0 
248 
60 
147 
63 
13 
14 

104 

28 

100 

164 

19 

13 


17 
485 
357 
192 
154 
216 
338 
389 


62.  Jaws  of  ditto 

63.  Spinnerets  of  ditto...  ...  135  92.  Aulacodiscus  margaritaceus  192 

64.  Claws    from    small     House-  93.   Coscinodiscus  radiosa        ...  343 

Spider  ...  ...  ...   240  94.  Heliopelta  metii      ...  ...  208 

At  the  close  of  the  series  Mr.  Smith  showed  a  variety  of  rustic  scenes, 
architectural  subjects,  machinery,  &c,  in  order  to  show  the  suitability  of 
the  process  for  other  classes  of  subjects. 

The  President  said  that  after  the  hearty  approval  expressed  during  the 
exhibition,  it  was  hardly  necessary  to  move  a  formal  vote  of  thanks  to  the 
exhibitors.  He  congratulated  Mr.  Evans  on  the  excellent  results  he  had 
shown.  The  slides  were  a  marked  advance  in  that  class  of  photographs, 
especially  those  illuminated  on  a  dark  ground,  and  by  reflected  light. 
He  could  not  agree  with  Mr.  Evans  in  thinking  that  these  slides  were,  in 
every  case,  superior  to  diagrams,  because  it  was  not  only  possible,  but 
necessary  sometimes,  to  render  details,  for  purposes  of  explanation,  more 


335 

distinctly  than  could  be  seen  in  a  photograph  or  in  the  natural  object,  which 
could  be  done  without  departing  from  truthful  representation.  In  fact 
there  was  a  tendency  in  diagrams  to  bring  out  details,  while  in  a  photo- 
graph details  were  rendered  less  distinctly.  He  was  struck,  while 
looking  at  these  specimens,  with  another  fact  often  ignored  by  artists, 
— the  irregularity  of  natural  objects.  How  seldom  natural  objects  pre- 
sented a  perfectly  uniform  figure,  yet  artists  in  making  a  drawing 
would  represent  every  part  exactly  symmetrical.  The  photographs 
showed  that  natural  objects  were  generally  more  or  less  unsyinmetrical. 
He  considered  that  objects  with  well-defined  outlines,  and  which  were 
nearly  in  one  plane,  such  as  sections  of  echinus  spines,  were  best  suited  for 
lantern  photographs.  It  was  impossible  to  give  the  true  effect  of  some 
objects,  such  as  the  fine  hairs  fringing  the  wings  of  Polynema.  Anyone 
seeing  the  broadened  image  of  these  hairs  on  the  screen  would  suppose  such 
hairs  were  very  stout,  almost  rods,  while  in  reality  they  were  of  the  most 
delicate  and  graceful  character.  In  the  case  of  diatoms,  with  the  micro- 
scope it  was  easy,  by  focussing  up  and  down,  to  differentiate  between  the 
upper  and  lower  snrfaces  of  the  valve,  but  in  the  lantern  slide  the  two 
surfaces  came  into  focus  together,  which  interfered  somewhat  with  the 
clearness  of  the  elxect.  On  the  whole  he  congratulated  the  exhibitors  on 
their  excellent  work,  and  concluded  by  moving  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to 
them  for  the  exhibition  they  had  given,  and  be  would  include  Mr.  Freeman, 
who  had  read  the  address,  and  given  the  names,  &c,  of  the  slides  as  they 
were  shown. 

The  vote  of  thanks  was  carried  with  applause. 

In  answer  to  cmestions,  Mr.  Smith  gave  a  shore  explanation  of  the  Wood- 
burytype  process. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  in  the  library  : — 

Ovipositer  of  dragon  fly  Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Flea  of  wild  rabbit    $    Q  Mr.  C.  Collins. 

Section  of  coal Mr.  A.  L.  Corbett. 

Coccus  of  orange,  showing  Ichneumon  in  situ     Mr.  F.  JUnock. 

Section  of  lichen,  Lecanara     ...  Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Photo-micrographs,  diatoms     ...         ...         ...     Dr.  R.  L.  Maddox. 

Spider,  Thomisus  audax  $         Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 

Type  slide  of   diatoms  from  Oamaru,  New ">      Mr>  H<  Morland. 
Zealand...  ...         ...         ...  ...  ) 

Diatoms,   Cestodiscus  pulchellus  ...         ...     Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 

Young  perch,  seven  dajs  old Mr.  ft.  T.  G.  Nevins. 

Diatom,  Actinoptychiis   Wittianus,  n.  s.  ...     Mr.  G.  Sturt. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Offord  also  exhibited  some  photographs  of  diatoms,  and  Mr. 
Edgar  Crookshank  brought  a  large  series  of  photographs  of  Bacteria. 
Attendance — Members,  57  ;  Visitors,  13. 


'ox 


'} 


336 


May  28th,  1886. —  Ordinary  Meeting. 
A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting-  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  halloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club: — The  Right  Rev.  Bishop  of  Peterborough  and  Mr.  Wm.  Hughes. 
The  following  donations  to  the  Club  were  announced  : — 

"  The  American  Naturalist "     ...         ...         ...     In  exchange. 

"  The  Journal  of  the  New  York  Microscopical") 

Society"  ...         ...  ) 

"The     American      Monthly     Microscopical^) 
Journal"'         ...  ...  ...  ...  j 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Belgian  Microscopical' 

Society"  

"Annals  of  Natural  History  "  ...         ...         ...     Purchased. 

"  British  Petrography " ,.,  „ 

Dr.  Hudson's  "  Rotifera,'"  Part  4        „ 

Sixslides From  Mr.  C.  Collins. 

The  thanks  of  the  Club  were  voted  to  the  donors. 

The  President  thought  that  the  subject  present  in  the  minds  of  most  of  the 
members  above  all  others  would  be  that  of  the  great  loss  they  had  sustained 
since  last  they  met.  When  he  took  his  seat  in  that  chair  for  the  first  time  as 
their  President,  he  did  not  anticipate  that  it  would  fall  to  his  lot  to  have  to 
refer  to  the  deaths  of  no  less  than  three  of  their  past  Presidents,  as  having 
occurred  during  his  short  tenure  of  office,  and  to  ask  for  votes  of  condolence 
to  be  passed  in  connection  with  them.  Dr.  Carpenter  and  Dr.  Cobbold  had 
passed  away  from  them,  and  now,  as  they  were  aware,  they  had  to  deplore  the 
removal  of  Dr.  Matthews,  whose  loss  would  go  home  to  most  of  them  more 
deeply  still.  Dr.  Matthews  was  so  old  a  member  of  the  Club,  and  so  constant 
an  attendant  at  their  meetings,  at  which  his  universal  kindness  and  readiness 
to  assist  every  one  who  desired  to  draw  upon  his  store  of  information,  that 
he  ventured  to  think  they  would  regard  him  with  something  more  than  the 
feelings  of  an  acquaintance,  but  rather  with  those  of  personal  attachment 
and  regard.  Those  who  came  into  contact  with  him  felt  that  his  kindness 
was  not  due  to  mere  urbanity  of  manner,  but  that  it  was  the  result  of  a 
genuine  desire  to  help  others  with  whom  he  was  brought  into  connection  ; 
and  although  it  would  not,  perhaps,  be  quite  correct  to  put  him  forward  as  an 
example  of  a  first-rate  man  of  science,  yet  the  store  of  knowledge  which  he 
had  to  draw  upon  was  by  no  means  small.  In  his  own  profession  he  occupied 
a  good  position,  being  very  skilful  in  it,  and  thoroughly  well  informed  in  all 
that  related  to  it,  and  this  knowledge  he  kept  up  to  the  very  last,  taking  the 
keenest  interest  in  eveiy  advance  that  was  made.  He  was  an  excellent 
chemist,  a  skilful  and  thoughtful  mechanician,  and  many  of  his  devices  were 
justly  appreciated  by  those  who  became  acquainted  with  them.  The  micro- 
lnegascope  and  the  machine  for  cutting  hard  sections  could,  perhaps,  hardly 


337 

be  expected  to  come  into  general  use,  though  exhibiting  a  large  amount  of 
intelligent  ingenuity,  but  his  parallel  .object-holder  for  the  turntable  had 
been  well  received,  and  had  obtained  a  very  -wide  use,  whilst  many  of  his 
other  inventions  -were  worthy  of  much  praise.  All  would  remember  his 
introduction  to  "Davies  on  Mounting,"  and  there  was  no  one  who  would  not 
recall  with  p^asure  the  memory  of  papers  in  which  Dr.  Matthews  had 
shown  himself  to  be  far  above  the  average  of  ordinary  writers.  He  was  an 
excellent  classical  scho'ar,  and  if  any  one  was  in  difficulty  as  to  a  classical 
quotation  he  was  always  ready  to  supply  the  need,  but  beyond  all  that  there 
was  a  kindness  and  benevolence  about  the  man  which  endeared  him  to  all 
with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He  died  very  rapidly  of  acute  pneumonia. 
It  must  have  been  noticed  by  all  that  during  the  last  few  years  his  health 
had  been  failing,  and  that  he  had  never  been  the  same  man  since  the  severe 
rheumatic  attack  which  prostrated  him  about  three  years  ago,  though  he 
still  retained  considerable  vigour,  and  could  walk  his  twenty  miles  when 
occasion  required.  He  had  been  attending  a  child  who  was  suffering  from 
pneumonia,  and  about  whose  case  he  was  very  anxious.  On  Friday,  after  a 
very  hard  clay's  work,  he  went  to  see  this  child  in  a  bitterly  cold  ea.-t  wind 
then  blowing.  He  took  a  chill,  and  on  returning  home  told  his  wife  that  he 
x  felt  he  was  going  to  be  seriously  ill,  and  at   once  took  to  his  bed.     He  (the 

President)  did  not  hear  of  the  doctor's  illness  until  the  following  Monday, 
when  he  went  up  to  see  him,  and  found  him  in  bed  and  very  ill,  but  still 
with  good  hope  of  recovery.  He  went  again  on  the  Tuesday.  On  Wed- 
nesday he  heard  that  matters  had  taken  an  unfavourable  turn,  and  on 
Thursday  when  he  went  again  to  the  house  he  found  there  was  no  longer 
any  room  for  hope.  There  would  for  a  long  time  to  come  be  a  vacant  chair 
amongst  them  where  Dr.  Matthews  used  to  sit.  The  funeral  took  place  on 
April  29th,  at  the  Islington  Cemetery,  Finchley,  and  although,  owing  to  the 
suddenness  of  the  event,  and  the  time  of  its  occurrence,  it  was  not  possible  to 
make  arrangements  for  the  official  attendance  of  a  deputation  from  the  Club, 
it  may  give  satisfaction  to  know  that  three  members  of  the  Committee  were 
present  to  pay  a  last  tribute  of  respect  to  the  memory  of  one  whose  loss  we 
all  so  much  deplore.  The  Committee  had  that  evening  passed  a  resolution 
of  condolence,  which  he  submitted  to  the  meeting  for  its  adoption,  in  order 
that  it  might  be  transmitted  to  the  famil}r.  The  following  resolution  was 
then  moved  from  the  chair  : — 

"The  membeis  of  the  Quekett  Microscopical  Club  desire  to  record  the 
deep  regret  with  which  they  heard  of  the  death  of  their  valued  fellow- 
member  and  past  President,  Dr.  John  Matthews,  whose  universal  kindness, 
and  the  readiness  with  which  he  placed  his  scientific  knowledge  at  the  service 
of  others  less  well  informed  than  himself,  have  endeared  him  to  every  one 
who  attended  meetings  of  the  Club,  and  will  cause  his  memory  to  be  pre- 
served with  grateful  and  affectionate  regard." 

Mr.  J.  E.  Ingpen  said  he  should  be  very  sorry  if  such  a  resolution  as  the 
one  they  had  heard  read  was  put  to  the  meeting  for  its  adoption,  without 
having  been  seconded  by  someone  who  had  a  deep  and  heartfelt  interest  in 
so  doing.     Many  of  the  words  which  he  might  otherwise  have  uttered  had 


338 

been  already  said,  and  it  needed  no  references  from  him  to  recall  to  their 
minds  their  dear  friend  Dr.  Matthews,  for  no  one  was  better  known,  he  had 
been  so  much  amongst  them,  and  was  so  conspicuous  in  his  endeavours  to 
advance  the  cause  that  brought  them  together,  for  with  him  knowledge 
seemed  to  be  regarded  almost  as  a  sacred  trust,  as  something  which  he  held 
for  the  purpose  of  communicating  to  others.  For  his  own  part  he  could  say- 
that  he  knew  him  so  well  that  the  loss  was  a  personal  one.  His  friendship 
had  gone  on  so  long,  having  sprung  up  in  that  room,  where,  perhaps,  a 
hundred  others  had  their  origin  also,  and  it  had  continued  to  be  just  the 
same  throughout,  and  was  happy  and  pleasant  to  the  end.  Dr.  Matthews 
possessed  acquirements  of  no  ordinary  kind  ;  they  were,  indeed,  far  higher 
than  most  persons  would  have  been  likely  to  suspect,  for  they  seemed  almost 
to  be  obscured  by  an  extreme  modesty  which  prevented  him  from  bringing 
forward  many  things  which  had  occurred  to  him.  For  a  considerable  period 
he  had  himself  been  very  closely  connected  with  Dr.  Matthews,  and  especially 
so  during  the  period  when  he  was  President  of  the  Club,  and  he  could  say  that 
none  of  their  Presidents  had  shown  a  deeper,  more  constant  or  more  intense 
interest  in  everything  which  had  to  do  with  its  welfare.  There  was  one  word 
which  always  in  his  mind  connected  itself  with  Dr.  Matthews,  and  that  was 
the  word  "  Honour  '—that  he  should  do  honour  to  any  position  he  was  called 
upon  to  fill.  He  was  ever  ready  to  do  honour  to  good  work  done  by  any 
one  else,  and  to  any  cause  with  which  he  became  connected.  This,  in  fact, 
seemed  always  to  be  his  main-spring  of  action.  During  the  many  years  he 
had  known  him  he  had  ever  proved  himself  to  be  the  noblest  of  friends,  and 
he  felt  sure  that  his  memory  would  be  always  held  in  honour  by  them  all. 
He  had  great  pleasure  in  seconding  the  proposal  before  the  meeting. 

The  resolution  was  then  submitted  to  the  meeting  and  unanimously 
approved. 

Mr.  Deby  exhibited  and  described  a  convenient  form  of  field  microscope 
of  German  manufacture,  which  he  thought  would  most  likely  be  of  use  to 
those  who  desired  something  better  than  the  ordinary  Coddington  lens.  It 
gave  a  good  flat  and  achromatic  field,  and  was  made  in  various  sizes ;  the 
eyepiece  screwed  on  one  end  of  the  tube,  and  there  was  a  little  condenser  at 
the  other.  The  specimens  he  had  brought  with  him  were  fitted  for  the 
narrow  slips  which  were  used  abroad,  but  they  could  be  made  to  take 
the  ordinary  English  slides.  As  regarded  price,  he  thought  they  were 
moderate  considering  their  quality,  the  one  magnifying  100  diameters  costing 
6s.,  one  150,  8s.,  and  the  highest,  magnifying  250  diameters,  10s.  They  were 
manufactured  by  Boecker,  of  Wetzlar,  in  Germany,  from  whom  no  doubt 
they  could  be  obtained. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Deby  for  bringing  this  very 
useful  and  practical  invention  under  the  notice  of  the  Club. 

Mr.  Morland  read  a  paper"  On  Diatom  Structure." 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  was  sure  that  all  must  have  thought  it  a  great  treat  to 
have  heard  such  a  paper  as  that  which  had  been  read  by  Mr.  Morland.  It 
showed  evidence  of  a  great  amount  of  work,  and  he  might  say  that  he  could 
follow  it  in  every  detail,  and  could  corroborate  the  opinions  advanced,  though 


339 

he  felt  himself  at  a  great  disadvantage  through  not  being  himself  a  mounter. 
He  quite  agreed  as  to  the  utter  uselessness  of  sections  of  diatoms  as  contributing 
at  all  to  a  knowledge  of  their  structure.  The  proper  thing  was  to  take  some 
ordinary  broken  portions,  and  to  make  what  they  could  out  of  them.  The 
best  lens  for  the  purpose  of  these  investigations  was  one  in  which  the  correc- 
tion was  such  as  to  show  a  slight  rose  colour.  This  would  show  the  thicker 
membranes  coloured  red  or  rose  colour.  He  had  been  looking  at  a  specimen 
that  day  on  the  surface  of  which  were  a  number  of  exceedingly  minute 
spines ;  these  all  looked  rose  colour.  He  quite  agreed  with  the  remarks  as  to 
the  exceeding  beauty  of  specimens  of  Araehnoidiscus.  It  was,  he  thought, 
one  of  the  most  lovely  objects  that  could  be  found  ;  the  beautiful  dove-tail- 
ing; in  of  the  various  parts  of  the  pattern  was  a  structure  the  perfection  of 
which  was  marvellous. 

Mr.  Deby  said  he  did  not  know  that  there  was  to  be  a  discussion  upon 
this  subject,  but  he  had  prepared  a  short  note  "  On  the  Structure  of  Diatom 
Valves,"  which  he  proceeded  to  read. 

Prof.  Stewart  said  that  perhaps  the  remark  which  Mr.  Deby  had  just 
made  would  apply  to  himself,  and  it  might  be  that  others  had  led  him  into 
error  upon  this  subject.  It  was  a  good  many  years  since  Mr.  Stephenson 
made  some  preparations  of  diatoms,  in  phosphorus  dissolved  in  bi-snlphide 
of  carbon,  and  the  appearance  which  they  presented  was  something  like  that 
which  he  drew  upon  the  black  board.  If  it  really  had  that  form  he  should 
have  thought  it  would  have  produced  the  same  effect  as  a  bi-coavex  lens,  and 
that  it  should  alter  materially  in  its  focus  according  to  the  medium  in  which 
it  was  placed.  But  what  they  really  found  was  that,  whether  they  examined 
it  in  a  medium  of  high  or  low  refractive  index,  the  effect  was  that  of  a 
number  of  little  lenses,  and  so  far  as  he  Avas  aware  only  a  series  of  holes 
could  act  in  this  way.  Certainly  they  did  act  as  if  they  were  a  series  of 
convex  lenses,  each  one  producing  an  image.  He  had  never  tried  the 
experiment  with  hydro-fluoric  acid,  but  from  what  he  had  seen  and  heard 
he  was  under  the  impression  that  they  were  actual  holes. 

Mr.  Deby  said  that  these  spaces  were  never  filled  by  air  or  by  dirt,  and  if 
they  were  holes  he  should  expect  them  to  be  so  frequently ;  but  as  a  matter 
of  fact  there  never  was  an}-.  There  was  a  flat  top  not  curved  on  either 
side  or  thickened  at  the  corners,  and  there  was  a  hole  in  the  bottom  mem- 
brane, as  he  drew  it  on  the  board  III.  Could  Prof.  Stewart  say  what  would 
be  the  diffraction  effect  of  such  an  arrangement? 

Prof.  Stewart  imagined  that  an  image  would  be  formed  by  it. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson  thought  this  was  hardly  the  point  at  issue.  The  question 
was  not  one  of  diffraction  effects,  but  of  making  images.  With  Pleurosigma 
images  could  be  made,  as  he  had  himself  shown  in  that  room. 

Mr.  Deby  said  it  seemed  to  be  a  matter  of  facts,  and  therefore  he  would 
bring  down  some  of  his  slides,  and  would  show  them  at  the  next  meeting. 

Prof.  Stewart  said  perhaps  Mr.  Deby  wrould  do  them  the  favour  to  bring 
also  some  of  those  which  showed  the  shape  he  had  drawn  upon  theboard. 

Mr.  Deby  said  he  should  be  very  pleased  to  do  so. 

Prof.  Stewart  said  as  a  matter  of  probability  he  should  not  have  thought 


340 

it  likely  that  there  should  have  been  an  abrupt  junction  between  a  closing 
membrane  and  the  sides  of  the  spaces  below  as  Mr.  Deby  had  drawn.  He 
thought  on  a  priori  grounds  there  wouid  have  been  a  thickening  at  the 
angles. 

Mr.  Deby  thought  this  argument  was  rather  of  a  theoretical  than  a  prac- 
tical character,  but  he  thought  if  they  took  a  section  of  one  of  the  joints  of 
Spirogyra  they  would  find  that  the  closing  membranes  formed  right  angles 
with  the  sides  of  the  filiform  space. 

Mr.  Morland  had  found  it  to  be  invariably  the  case  that  there  was  a 
thickening  at  the  angles  as  drawn  by  Prof.  Stewart. 

Mr.  J.  E.  Ingpen  said  that  at  that  late  hour  he  would  not  trouble  the 
meeting  with  more  than  a  short  communication  upon  the  subject  of  mount- 
ing in  media  of  high  refractive  index,  the  basis  of  which  was  sulphide  of 
arsenic.  It  would  no  doubt  be  recollected  that  some  time  ago  some  very 
beautiful  specimens  of  this  kind  of  mounting  were  sent  over  to  this  country 
by  Prof.  Hamilton  Smith.  Mr.  William  Meates  set  himself  at  that  time  to 
find  out  what  the  medium  was  which  Prof.  Smith  had  employed,  and  after 
some  amount  of  experimenting  he  came*  to  the  conclusion  that  it  must  be 
some  preparation  of  sulphide  of  arsenic.  Prof.  Smith  at  first  would  not 
publish  the  formula,  but  when  at  length  he  was  induced  to  do  so,  it  turned 
out  to  be  a  mixture  of  sulphide  of  arsenic  in  bromide  of  arsenic.  Mr. 
Meates  then  went  on  to  experiment  as  to  how  far  the  effects  could  be  varied, 
and  he  obtained  a  medium  of  very  high  index  indeed,  but  be  found  that  it 
had  a  very  high  melting  point,  and  that  this  was  greater  in  proportion  to  the 
quantity  of  arsenic.  The  results  obtained  were  so  good  that  Mr.  Meates  was 
encouraged  to  continue  his  experiments,  especially  as  the  medium  was  found 
to  be  very  useful  for  mounting  other  things  than  diatoms.  Blood  globules 
were  seen  to  advantage  in  it,  but  he  had  not  yet  been  so  successful  as  he  hoped 
to  be  with  podura  scales.  He  had  brought  for  exhibition  a  specimen  of  sul- 
phide of  arsenic  ;  also  a  mount  of  the  Cherryfield  Rhomboides  in  phos- 
phorus and  bi-sulphide  of  carbon,  the  colour  of  which  under  the  microscope 
appeared  to  be  nearly  a  brick  red,  the  colour  in  pure  phosphorus  being 
more  green.  Specimens  mounted  in  sulphide  of  arsenic,  styrax,  &c,  were  also 
exhibited. 

Mr.  Deby  said  that  he  found  that  Prof.  Hamilton  Smith's  medium  was  not 
be  trusted  for  permanent  mounting.  He  had  a  number  of  slides  prepared 
with  it,  and  about  90  per  cent,  of  these  bad  become  spoilt.  It  was  a  most 
valuable  preparation  for  purposes  of  examination,  but  it  would  not  stand 
the  test  of  time. 

Votes  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Morland,  Mr.  Deby,  and  Mr.  Ingpen  were  then 
passed,  and  the  meeting  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Living  Barnacles,  B alarms  balanoides  ...         ...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 

Larva  of  Tettigonia  (spring  frog  hopper)        ...     Mr.  C.  Collins. 

Head  of  Colletes  Daviesana  (Ground    Bee)  / 

.,,,,,.  \      Mr.  F,  Enock, 

with  explanatory  drawing  ...         ...         ; 


341 


Diatoms  mounted  in  sulphide  of  arsenic  by  i 


Mr.  W.  C.  Meates 
Living  Spider,  JEpiera  umbraticaQ 

Diatoms,  Surirella  ovata  and  S.  linearis 

„        Actinoptyehus  splendens 
Larva,  pupa,  and  image  of  Tanypus     ... 
Phylloxera  vastatrix 


I 


Mr  J.  Ingpen. 

Mr.  G.E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson. 
Mr.K.  T.  G.  Nevins. 
Mr.  W.  Watson. 


Attendance — Members,  58  ;   Visitors,  5. 


June  11th,  1886. — Conversational  Meeting. 


The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 
Leptodora  hyalina 

Fairy  fly,  Anagrus  incarnatus,  with  drawing 
Model  of  a  diatom,  Surirella  bifrons  ... 
Larva  of  newt,  showing  circulation    ... 
Fish  louse,  Argnhis  foliaceous 
Spider,  Salticus  tardigradus  $ 
Type  slide,  diatoms  from  Richmond,  Virginia 
Eggs  and  larva;  of  water  beetle,  Gyrinii.s  natata 
Asplanchna  Bright icelli 
Volvox  global  or,  with  resting  spores  ... 
Section  of  chalk  showing  Foraminifera,  (fcc.,1 

from  New  Zealand ...  ...  J 

Diatoms,  Aulacodiscus  Grunoicii,  n.  s.,  from"! 
the  Briinn  Tegel  ...         ...         ...  J 

Pollen,  10  varieties  on  one  slide  


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  F.  Enoch. 
Mr  J.  D.  Hardy. 
Mr.  G.  Hind. 
Mr.  C.  K.  Jaques. 
Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  H.  Morland. 
Mr.  R.  T.  G.  Nevins. 
Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 

Mr.  G.  Smith. 

Mr.G.  Sturt. 
Mr.  W.  Watson. 


Attendance — Members,  38;  Visitors,  1. 


June  25th,  1886. — Ordinary  Meeting. 
A.  D.  Michael,  Esq.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  President,  in  the  Chair. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 
The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members  of 
the  Club  : — Mr.  Frank  G.  Bernan,  Mr.  Edward  Briant,  Dr.  E.  M.  Crookshank, 
and  Mr.  Samuel  Richardson. 

The  following  additions  to  the  Library  were  announced : — 

"Journal  of  the  Royal  Microscopical  Society"        ...     In  exchange. 
"  The  American  Monthly  Microscopical  Journal  "...      „         „ 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Royal  Society  " ...      „  ,, 

-' The  American  Naturalist "    ...         ...      ,, 


342 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Geologists'  Association  "         ...     In  exchange. 
"  Proceedings    of    the    New    York    Microscopical) 

Society"  ...         ...         ) 

"  Report  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Smithsonian") 

Institution"     ...         ...  ...         ...         ...         ) 

"Grevillea"         Purchased. 

"  Quarterly  Journal  of  Microscopical  Science "         ...  „ 

"  Annals  of  Natural  History " ...  ...         ,, 

"  British  Petrography  " — part  5         „ 

Mr.  Moiland  exhibited  and  described  a  new  form  of  cell  slide  for  dry 
mounting,  which  he  had  obtained  from  Messrs.  J.  W.  Queen  and  Co.,  of 
Philadelphia.  The  cells  were  made  of  stamped  brass,  soldered  to  a  metallic 
slide  ;  a  cap  fitted  over  the  cell  so  as  to  be  readily  removed  for  the  examina- 
tion of  the  uncovered  object  when  required.  He  had  sent  for  an  assortment 
of  these  slides,  but  as  all  those  received  were  alike,  he  assumed  that  only 
one  size  was  made.  The  cells  could  be  obtained  separately  from  the  slides ; 
the  price  was  moderate,  being  equivalent  to  about  6s.  per  100. 

Mr.  Karop  thought  it  was  rather  inconvenient,  in  the  case  of  objects  to  be 
dry  mounted,  to  have  the  cells  all  of  one  depth.  It  also  occurred  to  him 
that  where  metal  slides  were  used  the  labels  were  very  apt  to  come  off. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Nelson's  paper,  "  On  Some  Salt  Water  Monads  and  Bacteria," 
was  read  by  the  Secretary. 

Mr.  Karop  thought  that  Mr.  Nelson  was  rather  rash  in  saying  the  things 
he  had  described  were  Bacteria.  It  appeared  to  him,  from  the  description 
given,  that  what  they  had  before  them  was  a  case  of  nuclear  division,  as 
pointed  out  by  Dr.  Dallinger. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  voted  to  Mr.  Morland  and  Mr.  Nelson  for 
their  communications. 

Mr.  Buff  ham  communicated  to  the  Club  the  results  of  some  of  his  recent 
observations  "  On  Some  New  Forms  of  Fructification  in  the  Marine  Algae," 
illustrating  the  subject  by  diagrams  drawn  upon  the  black  board.  Mr. 
Buffham  concluded  his  remarks  by  saying  that  most  microscopists  of  the 
ordinary  type  took  up  the  pursuit  as  a  sweetener  of  life,  and  after  a  general 
examination  of  the  objects  about  them,  such  persons  often  found  considerable 
difficulty  in  finding  a  subject  which  was  suited  to  their  tastes  and  their 
means.  He  thought  that  in  the  Algae  they  would  find  a  subject  which  would 
fulfil  all  requisite  conditions,  the  objects  were  easily  accessible,  they  Avere 
very  beautiful  in  themselves,  and  they  afforded  a  wide  field  for  original 
observation,  so  that  he  could  promise  that  if  an)  one  would  take  up  the 
subject  he  would  be  well  repaid  in  many  ways  for  the  trouble  taken  in 
the  course  of  its  pursuit. 

Mr.  Karop  was  much  obliged  to  Mr.  Buffham  for  the  interesting  communi- 
cation given  to  them  at  such  short  notice.  The  study  would  no  doubt  prove 
very  interesting  to  those  who  would  take  it  up,  but  he  thought  the  difficulty 
with  most  people  would  be  not  so  much  how  to  get  specimens  as  how  to 
keep  them.  Many  of  these  things  looked  very  nice  at  first,  but  after  a  while 
they   began    to   go  bad,    and   the  result   was  of  course  very   disappoint- 


343 

ing.     If,  therefore,  Mr.  Buffham  could  give  them  a  few  hints  as  to  preserva- 
tion he  was  sure  that  all  would  be  glad  to  hear  them. 

Mr.  Buftham  said  the  matter  was  simple  enough,  though  he  could  quite 
believe  what  their  Secretary  had  said  with  regard  to  the  character  of  many 
of  the  slides  which  had  been  made  from  these  objects.  There  was  really  no 
great  difficulty  about  their  preservation,  and  when  one  was  at  the  shore  it 
would  soon  be  found  out  what  was  the  best  medium  for  the  purpose.  Most 
things  would  keep  very  well  if  well  washed  in  sea  water,  and  then  put  into  the 
best  glycerine,  but  too  many  should  not  be  put  into  the  same  bottle,  other- 
wise there  would  be  perhaps  too  much  water  mixed  with  the  glycerine. 
Other  kinds  which  would  not  bear  the  glycerine  should,  after  washing,  be 
put  into  a  saturated  solution  of  common  salt,  and  to  prevent  mycelium  from 
forming,  the  cork  should  be  well  benzoled,  so  as  to  kill  any  spores  which 
might  be  hanging  about.  Polysiphonia  and  allied  species  did  best  in  a 
solution  of  salt.  As  regarded  mounting,  most  kinds  were  preserved  very 
well  in  Deane's  gelatine,  almost  all  his  own  specimens  were  mounted  in  this 
medium,  and  there  was  very  little  fault  to  find  with  it.  He  did  not  think 
the  form  of  the  specimens  was  quite  so  well  preserved  in  thi.v  way  as  in  fluid, 
but  when  a  person  mounted  these  things  he  did  not  want  to  have  to  look  to 
them  frequently  afterwards,  and  to  all  who  wished  to  avoid  this  trouble,  he 
would  say,  "  Don't  put  your  specimens  up  in  fluid,  but  mount  them  in  the 
gelatine  medium."  He  had  some  specimens  mounted  in  it,  which  were  four 
or  five  years  old,  and  they  seemed  qnite  as  good  as  when  first  prepared. 

The  President  said  that  the  latter  portion  of  Mr.  Buffham's  remarks  souuded 
as  if  he  were  relating  the  experience  which  he  had  himself  acquired,  for 
he  had  found  that  in  collecting  sea  weeds  the  best  thing  was  to  wash  them 
quite  clean  in  salt  water,  unless  they  could  do  what  was  still  better — obtain 
them  from  clear  water  where  they  grew  naturally  clean.  Then  the  collector 
should  carry  with  him  a  little  bottle  of  glycerine  into  which  to  put  such  as 
he  wished  to  preserve;  except  in  cases  of  special  genera,  this  would  be  found 
to  answer  very  well.  Some  years  ago  he  recommended  this  plan  to  Mr 
Grilburt,  who  iound  it  to  be  very  good.  For  mounting  he  had  also  found. 
Dean's  glycerine  medium  to  be  the  best ;  it  did  very  well  for  the  red  sea  weeds, 
and  also  for  many  other  things.  He  had  tried  experiments  in  staining  before 
mounting,  and  found  that  with  a  little  care  this  could  be  done  successfully 
and  with  advantage,  and  specimens  stained  the  same  colour  as  they  were 
naturally  were  not  so  likely  to  fade  afterwards  as  others  which  were  mounted 
in  their  natural  condition ;  they  appeared  to  have  a  tendency  to  pick  up  the 
stain,  and  to  retain  it  in  those  portions  which  w^ere  coloured  in  nature. 

The  thanks  of  the  meeting  were  unanimously  voted  to  Mr.  Buffham  for 
his  communication. 

Notices  of  meetings,  &c,  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made,  and  the 
meeting  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Spores  of  Fungus,  Asterosjporium  Hoffmanni...     Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Parasite  of  Bee,  Siylops  Spenceri  (nat.  col.)...     Mr.  F.  Enock. 
Spider,  Drassus  cwpreus  g       Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 


344 

Rotifera,  Rhinops,  Brachionus,  Triarthra     ...     Mr.  C.  Rousselet. 
T.  section,  tooth  of  Icthyosaurus  ...         ...     Mr.  G.  Smith. 

Diatoms,  Atdocodiseus  Grunoicii         ...         ...     Mr.  W.  Watson. 

Attendance — Members,  48  ;  Visitors,  3. 


July  9th,  1886. — Conversational    Meeting. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Third  leg  of  bee,  Macropis  labiata  Q  ...  Mr.  F.  Enock. 

Hair  tufts  from  larva  of    Vanessa  urtica  ...  Mr.  H.  E.  Freeman. 

Indian  spider,     Saliicus  sp.  2  ...  ...  Mr.  G.  E.  Mainlaud. 

Diatoms,     Stephanopyxis  corona        ...  ...  Mr.  H.  Mori  and. 

Lacinularia  social  is,  Plumatella  rapens,  and  i  m  •   "R   T   f    "NT     ' 

Philodina  erythophtkalma    ... 

Diatoms,    Triceratium  Morlandii.  from  New  ]      ,,     «    a.     . 

}      Mr.  G.  Sturt. 

Zealand  ...         ...         J 

Attendance — Members,  22  ;  Visitors,  1. 


July  23rd,  1886.— Ordinary  Meeting. 
E.  T.  Newton,  Esq.,  F.G.S.,  in  the  Chair. 

The  Secretary  called  the  attention  of  the  members  present  to  Rale  4, 
which  provided  that  upon  occasions  like  the  present,  when  the  President 
and  ^Vice-Presidents  were  absent,  the  members  should  themselves  proceed 
to  app oint  a  Chairman. 

It  was  thereupon  proposed  by  Mr.  Dadswell,  and  seconded  by  Mr. 
Parsons,  that  Mr.  E.  T.  Newton  be  requested  to  take  the  chair  on  that 
occasion.  The  proposal  having  been  put  to  the  meeting  by  the  Secretary, 
was  unanimously  carried. 

The  minutes  of  the  preceding  meeting  were  read  and  confirmed. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  balloted  for  and  duly  elected  members 
of  the  Club:— Mr.  G.  A.  Bickerton,  Mr.  R.  Paul,  and  Mr.  David  G. 
Simpson. 

The  following  additions  to  the  Library  were  announced  :  — 

"Report  of  the   Manchester  Microscopical  Society  "...     In  exchange. 
"  The  Botanical  Gazette"...  ...  ...         ...  ...       ,,        ,, 

"  Proceedings  of  the  New  York  Natural  History  Society"      „        ,, 
"  Proceedings  of  the  Canadian  Institute "         ...  ...       ,,        ,, 

"  Proceedings  of  the  Belgian  Microscopical  Society  "...       „       ,, 
The  Secretary  announced   that  subscriptions  to   the  Club  w'ere  now  due, 

and  that  any  member  desiring   to  do   so  might  pay  to  the   Treasurer  5s. 

as  a  subscription  to  the  end  of  the  present  year,  and  then  10s.  in  January 


345 

for  the  twelvemonth  ensuing  ;  or  they  could,  if  desired,  pay  15s.  at  once 
to  carry  them  up  to  the  end  of   1887. 

Mr.  Gerald  Sturt  gave  a  brief  resume  of  his  paper  "  On  Some  New 
Diatoms  from  Oamaru,  New  Zealand,''  the  paper  itself  being  of  too 
technical  a  character  to  be  interesting  to  the  meeting  if  read  in  extenso. 
The  material  from  which  the  diatoms  had  been  obtained  was  some  earth 
imported  from  New  Zealand  under  the  name  of  kaolin.  This  was,  however, 
erroneously  applied,  kaolin  being  really  disintegrated  felspar.  The  earth 
in  question  came  from  Oamaru,  its  geological  age  had  not  yet  been  de- 
termined, but  this  question  was  under  consideration,  and  further  details 
were  expected.  The  deposit  bore  a  very  remarkable  similarity  to  the 
Cambridge  Barbadoes  earth,  which  produced  so  many  famous  forms,  but 
the  exact  locality  of  which  could  not  now  be  identified.  It  also  resembled 
some  earth  from  Simbirsk,  in  Russia,  and  another  deposit  at  Briinn,  the 
resemblance  being  so  close  that  the  forms  found  in  one  could  not  be  dis- 
tinguished from  those  taken  from  the  others.  It  was  also  remarkable  that 
several  of  the  forms  were  still  found  living  in  the  Indian  Ocean.  The 
deposit  was  an  exceedingly  rich  one,  and  had  already  been  found  to  contain 
40  species  entirely  new  to  science. 

The  Chairman  said  they  were  very  much  obliged  to  Mr.  Sturt  for  his 
very  interesting  paper,  interesting  not  only  to  the  members  of  the  Club  as 
microscopists,  but  also  to  geologists.  He  only  regretted  that  so  valuable  a 
communication  should  have  been  made  before  so  small  an  audience. 

Mr.  Karop  said  it  was,  of  course,  rather  premature  to  discuss  the  paper 
without  having  the  whole  of  it  before  them,  but  it  was  very  interesting  to 
find  evidences  of  a  sort  of  evolution  of  diatoms  going  on ;  if  this  could  be 
traced  in  the  case  of  NaviculcB,  it  would,  undoubtedly,  be  most  interesting. 

A  member  inquired  if  he  rightly  understood  Mr.  Sturt  to  say  that  there 
were  particular  forms  which  had  only  been  found  in  these  deposits  ? 

Mr.  Sturt  said  this  was  so ;  they  had  been  found  by  Greville  in  the 
original  Cambridge  Barbadoes  earth,  but  had  not  been  found  since,  except 
in  the  deposits  mentioned. 

Mr.  Karop  asked  if  the  Polycistince  were  as  remarkable  in  this  earth  as 
in  that  from  Barbadoes  ? 

Mr.  Sturt  said  that  the  Polyeisiince  were  rather  conspicuous  by  their 
absence,  being  very  few  comparatively.  There  was  a  large  quantity  of  very 
curious  sponge  spicules,  but  Radiolaria  were  very  scarce  indeed. 

The  Chairman  thought  there  were  some  points  in  connection  with  the 
subject  which  were  of  very  considerable  interest,  especially  the  facts  that 
the  forms  "were  in  so  many  cases  the  same  as  those  in  the  Barbadoes  earth, 
and'  that  other  forms  were  the  same  as  those  now  found  living  in  the 
Indian  Ocean.  This  was  an  observed  fact,  that  forms  which  were  found 
both  in  the  living  and  fossil  states  were  always  such  as  were  widely  dis* 
tributed,  so  that  the  circumstance  that  these  were  found  in  Barbadoes, 
Russia,  and  New  Zealand,  and  also  living  in  the  Indian  Ocean,  was  exactly 
what  experience  would  lead  them  to  expect.  It  would  be  extremely  in- 
teresting to  know,  however,  what  was  the  geological  age  of  the  deposits 

Journ.  Q,  M.  C,  Series  II.,  No.  16.  d  d 


346 


themselves.  Ho  was  very  glad  to  hear  from  Mr.  Sturt  that  this  was  to  be 
considered  only  as  a  first  instalment,  and  that  further  communications 
upon  tho  same  subject  would  follow  in  duo  coarse.  He  had  great  pleasure 
in  proposing  a  hearty  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Sturt  for  this  paper. 

Mr.  Sturt  said  that  as  the  paper  was  tho  joint  production  of  Mr.  Grove, 
of  Saltburn,  and  himself,  any  vote  of  thanks  ought  to  include  Mr.  Grove. 

A  vote  of  thanks  to  Mr.  Sturt  and  Mr.  Grovo  was  then  unanimously 
passed. 

Announcements  of  meetings  for  the  ensuing  month  were  then  made,  and 
the  meeting  terminated  with  the  usual  Conversazione. 

The  following  objects  were  exhibited  : — 

Batrachospermiim 

Ichneumon  fly,  Tritfiogramma  evanescens 

Micro-photograph  of  the  late  Dr.  Carpenter  . 

Spider's  nest 

Larva  of  Syrphus  ...         . . .  ■ 

Various  Diptera  ... 

Attendance — Members,  33;  Visitor,  1. 


Mr.  F.  W.  Andrew. 
Mr.  F.  Enock. 
Mr.  G.  Hind. 

Mr.  G.  E.  Mainland. 
Mr.  E.  T.  G.  Nevins. 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

Abbe  condenser,  E.  M.   Nelson 

on  a  new  stop  for,  ...         ...   148 

Algse,  T.  H.  Buffham's  remarks 
on  some  new  forms  of  fruc- 
tification in  marine,  ...   342 

Algae,  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke's  demon- 
stration on  collecting  and 
preserving  ...  ...  ...   148 

Alteration    of    date    of    annual 

meetings,     ...         ...         ...  289 

Antedon  rosaceus,  A.  D. 
Michael's  remarks  on  a 
larval  form  of,       ...  ...  243 

Arthropoda,  B.  T.  Lowne  on  the 

eyes  of,        ...  ...  ...   144 

Ascidian,  A.  D.   Michael  on  the 

larva  of  an,  ...  ...    Ill 

Ascidian  larva,  Dr.  W.  B.  Car- 
penter's remarks  on  Mr. 
Michael's  paper  on  an,     ...   119 

Auditory  apparatus  of  the  craw- 
fish and  the  grasshopper, 
Prof.  C.  Stewart  on,         ...   240 

Bacteria  and  the  methods  of 
staining  them,  E.  Thurston 
on, 121 

Bacteriology,  notice  of  Crook- 
shank's,       ...  ...         ...  278 

Bates  (F.),  on  the   sexuality  of 

the  Zygnemacece,  ...  ...    104 

Beck    (C),    on    a    new    serial 

section  cutting  machine    ...   154 

Buffham  (T.  H.),  on  the  conjuga- 
tion of  Rhabdonema  arcua- 
tum,  ...  ...  ...   131 

„     On  congugation,  &c,  dis- 
cussion   ...         ...         ...   151 

,,     On    the  fructification    of 

some   sea  weeds,  ...  237 

,,     Remarks    on     some    new 
forms  of  fructification  in 

Marine  Algse      342 

Burch  (G.  J.),  on  a  supposed  new 

Infusorian,  ...  ...  ...   163 

Camera  lucida,  J.  E.    Ingpen's 

remarks  on  Dr.  Schroeder's,     36 


PAGE 

Capnodium  citri,  G.  C.  Karop's 

remarks  on,  ...         ...   286 

Carpenter  (Dr.  W.   B.).  on  the 

structure  of  Orbitolites,     91 
„    Remarks  on  Mr.  Michael's 
paper  on  a  larval  Asci- 
dian,   ...         ...         ...  119 

„    On  Prof.  Moseley's  dis- 
covery of  eyes  in  shell 

of  Chiton        147 

„    President's       Address, 

1885, 180 

,,    Notice  of  the  death  of,  245 
Cell  for  dry  mounting,  H.  Mor- 

land  on  a,     ...  ...         ...  342 

Cerianthus,  Arthur  Pennington 

on  a  slide  of  oral  disc  of,  ...    109 
Cheshire  (F.  R.),  on  the  economy 

of  the  Hive  Bee,  discussion  196 
Cleve    (Prof.),   on   some    fossil 

diatoms  from  Augarten,  165 
Cobbold  (T.  S.),  on  lung  para- 
sites, ...         ...         ...   155 

Cobbold  (Dr.  T.  S.),  notice  of  the 

death  of,  by  A.  D.  Michael,  289 
Collecting  bottle  or    live    box, 
J.  D.  Hardy  on  a  new  form 

of, 55 

Committee,  Report  of,  July,  1 884,     74 

„       1885,  210 
Cooke  (Dr.   M.  C),  President's 

Address,  July,  1884,...     64 
On     the     admission     of 

ladies  to  the  Club,   ...     82 
On     some      remarkable 
moulds,  ...         ...  138 

On  collecting   and   pre- 
serving    fresh     water 
Algae    ...         ...         ...  148 

On  Palmodactylon  and  a 

new  Vaucheria,         ...  219 
On     the    appearance  of 
Pucciniagentianella  at 
Kew,...  ...         ...  237 

Corrigenda    to     Prof.    Cleve's, 

paper  on  Augarten  diatoms,  234 


63148 


11 


INDEX. 


PAGE 
Crookshank's  Bacteriology,  No- 

tice  of,         ...         ...  ...  278 

Date  of  annual  meetings,  altera- 
tion of,        ...         ...         ...  289 

Davis  (Henry),  on  the  dessica- 

tion  of  Rotifers,     ...  ...  231 

Death  of  Dr.  Carpenter,  notice 

of  the,  by  A.  D.  Michael,  245 
„  of  Dr.T.  S.  Cobbokl,  notice 

of  the,  by  A.  D.Michael,  289 
„  of  Dr.  Matthews,  notice  of 

the,  by  A.  D.  Michael,  336 
Deby  (J.),  on  diatom  structure,  308 
„       On  a  German  field  micro- 
scope   ...  ...         ...  338 

Demonstration,  Prof.  C.  Stewart 

on  polarized  light,      ...     37 
W.    Dal  ton    Smith    on 
staining  vegetable  tis- 
sues,   ...         ...         ...     46 

E.  Thurston  on  Bacteria 
and    the    methods    of 
staining  them,  ...  121 

Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  on  col- 
lecting and  preserving 
fresh  water  Algse      ...   148 
„     T.  S.  Cobbold  on  lung 

parasites         ...         ...  155 

,,     Lowne  on  eyes  of  ar- 

thropoda         144 

Dessication     of    Rotifers,     H. 

Davis  on  the,  ...  ...  231 

Diatoms  from  Japanese  oysters, 


jj 


»» 


» 


F.  Kitton  on, 


16 


jj 


5» 


>> 


Prof.  Cleve  on  Augar- 
ten  ...         ...         ...  165 

F.  Kitton  on  the  mys- 
terious appearance  of  1 78 
Nelson,  and  Karop  on 
the  finer  structure  of,  269 
Diatom  structure,   H.  Morland 

on, 297 

„  „       J.  Deby  on,...  308 

Discussion      on      Kruitchnuit's 
letter,  re  sands  from  hot 
springs,  Arkansas,         ...     42 
,,     Lewis'     note    on    Mermis 

viyrescens,  ...         ...     54 

„     Nelson's    hydrostatic  fine 

adjustment,         ...  ...     84 

,,     Bates'  paper  on  the  sexu- 
ality of  Zyynem a cece       ...   120 
,,     E.  M.  Nelson's  paper  on 

Historic  Microscopy      ...  247 
„     Morland's  paper  on  Diatom 

structure  ...  ...   338 

Dunning  (C.  G.),  on  a  new  form 

of  live  box 249 


33 


3» 


PAGE 

Equalising  slips  for  oil  immer- 
sion    condensers,      Nelson 

on, 230 

Evans  and  Smith,  Exhibition  of 
photographic  lantern  slides, 

by  Messrs 331 

Excursions,  list  of  objects  ob- 
tained April,  May, 
June,  1884,  ...     27 

June,  July,  and  Aug., 

1884,         59 

Sept.,  Oct.,  1884,  and 
April,  1885,         ...  189 
„         „     during  the  year  1885,  272 
Exhibition    of    lantern    micro- 
scope by  Lewis  Wright,   118 
Photographic  lantern 
slides,  by  Messrs.  Evans 
and  Smith  ...  ...  331 

Fine  adjustment,  E.  M.Nelson, 

on  a  hydrostatic,  ...  ...     57 

Fine  adjustment,  E.  M.  Nelson 

discussion  on,        ...  ...     84 

Gamasus,  A.  D.  Michael  on   a 

new  species  of,      ...  ...  260 

Gas      burner,    H.    F.     Hailes' 
remarks    on    Sugg's    new, 

"  The  Cromartie," 295 

Graphiology,  Dr.  J.  H.  Wythe  on 


3> 


microscopic, 


86 


Grove    (E.)    and  G.    Sturt,  on 
diatomaceous  deposit  from 

Oamaru,  N.Z.,        321 

Hailes  (H.   F.),  on  gum  styrax,  116 
„     On  Sugg's  new  gas  burner, 

the  "  Cromartie,"  ...  295 

Hardy  (J.  D.),  a  new  collecting 

bottle  and  live  box,       ...     55 
„     On  the  mode  of  feeding 

of  Daplinia pulex        ...    1G2 
Hexactinellidce.  B.  W.  Priest  on 

the, ...         ...  ...  ...       8 

Historic   Microscopy,  by  E.  M. 

Nelson,        .         ...  222 

Historic  Microscopy,  discussion 

on  Nelson's  paper  on,        ...  247 
Hudson    and    Gosse's  Rotifera, 

notice  of,    ...  ...  ...  278 

Hydroid  polyp,  F.  A.   Parsons 

on  anew,    ...  ...  ...   125 

Infusorian,    G.  J.  Burch  on   a 

supposed  new,        ...  ...   163 

Ingpen  (J.   E.),  remarks  on  Dr. 

Schroeder's  camera  lucida,     36 
„     On    mounting   in    highly 

refractive  media  ...  340 

Japanese  oysters,  F.  Kitton  on 

diatoms  from,        ...  ...     16 


INDEX, 


111 


PAGE 

Karop  (G.  C),  remarks  on  Cap- 

nodium  citri,  ...         ...  286 

Kitton   (F.),  on    Diatoms  from 

Japanese  oysters,       ...     16 
,,     On    the    mysterious   ap- 
pearance of  a  diatom    178 
Kruitchnuit,  letter  re  sand  from 

the  hot  springs,  Arkansas...     42 
Ladies,  discussion  on  the  admis- 
sion of,  to  the  club,  ...     81 
Lantern  microscope,  exhibition 

of,  by  Lewis  Wright,         ...   118 
Larva  of   an   Ascidian,   A.    D. 

Michael  on  the       Ill 

Lewis  (R.  T.),  note  on  Mermis 

nigrescens    ...  ...  ...     24 

List  of  objects  obtained  at  Ex- 
cursions :  Whitstable,  Ep- 
ping  Forest,  Caterbam,  and 
Walton,  June,    July,    and 

August,  1884,         59 

„  Esher,     Hale    End,     Rich- 
mond Park,  Hackney  and 
Botanic   gardens,    Sept., 
Oct.,     1884    and     April, 
1885,       ...         ...         ...  189 

„  During  the  year  1885,       ...  272 
Live  box,  C.  G.  Dunning  on  a 

new  form  of,  ...         ...  249 

Lowne  (B.  T.),  on  the  eyes  of 

Arthropoda,  ...  ...   144 

Lung  parasites,  Dr.  T.  S.  Cob- 

bold's  demonstration  on,  ...   155 
Matthews  (Dr.  J.),  notice  of  the 

death  of,  by  A.  D.  Michael,  336 
Matthews    (Dr.    J.),     obituary 

notice  of,    ...         ...         ...  297 

Melicerta  ringens,  T.  S.  Smith- 
son  on  the  tube  of ,  ...  221 
Mermis  nigrescens,  note  on,  by 

R.  T.Lewis,  24 

Michael   (A.   D.),   on  an  unde- 
scribed  species  of  Myo- 
bia,       ...         ...         ...       1 

On  the  larva  of  an  As- 
cidian,          ...  Ill 

President's       Inaugural 

Address,  215 

Eemarks     on    larva    of 
Antedon  rosaceus,     ...   243 
„     On    a     new    species    of 

Gamasus,        ...         ...  260 

Microscopic     images,     E.      M. 
Nelson   on   the   interpreta- 
tion of,         ...         ...         ...  255 

Microscopic  images,  discussion 

on,  E.  M.  Nelson's  paper  on,  283 
Monad,  E.  M.  Nelson  on  a  salt- 
water, ...         319 


j) 


j» 


» 


PAGE 

Morland  (H.),  remarks  on  clean- 
ing Jutland  "cement- 
stein," 242 

„     On  diatom  structure,    ...  297 
,,     On  a   new    cell  for   dry 

mounting  ...  ...   342 

Moseley's  (Prof.)   Discovery  of 
eyes  in  the  shell  of  Chiton, 
Dr.  Carpenter  on,  ...  ...    147 

Myohia,     on     an     undescribed 

species  of,  by  A.  D.  Michael       1 
Nelson  (E.  M.),  equalising  slips 
for  oil  immersion  con- 
densers, ...         ...  230 

„     On  a  new  stop  for  Abbe 

condenser,       ...         ....   148 

,,     On  the  binocular  micro- 
scope  ...  ...         ...   199 

„     On  the  pygidium  of  the 

flea,      197 

,,     On  a  rotating  nose-piece 

and  condenser,  ...   153 

,,     Historic  microscopy,     ...   222 
„     On  a  Hydrostatic  fine  ad- 
justment,        ...         ...     57 

„     On  the  interpretation  of 

microscopic  images  ...  255 
,,     On  a  salt-water  Monad    319 
,,     and  Karop,  on  the  finer 

structure  of  diatoms....  269 

Oamaru,  New  Zealand,  E.  Grove 
and  G.  Sturt,  on  a  diatom - 
aceous  deposit  from,         ...  321 
Orbitolites,  on  the  structure  of, 

by  Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  ...     91 
Obituary  notice,  Dr.  Matthews,  279 
Objects  obtained  at  Excursions 
to  Whitstable,  Epping 
Forest,  Caterham,  and 
Walton,    June,   July, 
and  August,  1884,  ...     59 
„  Esher,  Hale  End,  &c, 
Sept.,  Oct.,  1884,  Ap., 

1885, 189 

,,         ,,  at  the  Excursions  in 

1885,  ...         ...         ...  272 

Parsons  (F.  A.),  on  a  new  Hy- 

droid  polyp,     ...   125 
„         ,,       Discussion         ...   146 
Palmodactylon        subramosum, 
and     New     British     Vau- 
cheria,  Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  on,  219 
Pennington  (Arthur),  notes  on  a 
slide  of  oral  disc  of  Cerian- 
thus....         ...         ...         ...  109 

Polarized  light,  Prof.   C.     Ste- 
wart's demonstration  on, ...     37 
Polyp,  F.  A.  Parsons  on  a   new 

Hydroid,      ...         ...         ..   125 


>> 


IV 


INDEX. 


PAGE 

President's  Address,  July,  1884, 
Dr.  M.  C.  Cooke  (valedic- 
tory),       64 

President's  Address  (inaugural), 

Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,         ...     91 
President's     Address      (valedic- 
tory). Dr.  W.  B.  Carpenter,  180 
President's  Address  (inaugural), 

A.  D.  Michael 215 

Priest  (B.  W.),  on  the  Hexacti- 

nellidce, ...         ...  ...       8 

,,       On  SpongiJla  frag  His,...   252 
„        „  ,,  discussion,  281 

Proceedings,  April,  May,  June, 

1884,      35 

„  July,  August,  and 

September,  1884,     80 
„  Oct.,   Nov.,    Dec, 

1884,     115 

,,  Jan.,  Feb.,  March, 

1885,     144 

„  April,    May,  June, 

and   July,    1885,  195 
„  Aug.,    Sept.,  Oct., 

Nov.    and    Dec, 

1885,     236 

„  Jan.,  Feb.,  March, 

1886,     280 

,,  April,  May,  June, 

July,  1886,  ...  331 
Remarkable  moulds,  Dr.  M.  C. 

Cooke  on  some,      138 

Report  of  Committee,  July,  1884,     74 

1885,  ...  210 
Mhabdonema   arcuatum,    T.    H. 

Buff  ham  on  the  conjugation 

of,     ^       ...  131 

Rotifera,  Hudson's  and  Gosse's, 

notice  of,      278 


PAGE 

Section-cutting      machine,      C. 

Beck  on  a  new  serial        ...   154 

Smith  (W.  Dal  ton),  demonstration 
on  staining  vegetable  tissues,   46 

Smithson  (T.  G.),  on  the  tube  of 

Melicerta  ringens,  ...         ...  221 

Special  Exhibition  Meeting,  May 

30th,  1884, 44 

Sjpongilla  fragilis,  B.  W.  Priest 

on,    ... 252 

Staining  vegetable  tissues,  de- 
monstration by  W.  Dalton 
Smith 46 

Stewart  (Prof.  C),  demonstra- 
tion on  polarized  light,     ...     37 

Stewart  (Prof.  C),  on  the  sound- 
producing  and  auditory 
apparatuses  of  the  craw- 
fish and  grasshopper,        . . .  240 

Sturt  (G.),  on  a  diatomaceous 
deposit  from  Oamaru,  N.Z., 
by  E.  Grove  and 321 

Styrax,  Hailes'  remarks  on  gum,  116 

Sugg's  "  Cromartie  "  gas  burner, 

H.  F.  Hailes'  remarks  on,...  295 

Thurston  (E.),  demonstration  on 
Bacteria,  and  the  methods 
of  staining  them,   ...         ...  121 

Wallich's  (Dr.  G.  C.)  new  con- 
denser        ...         ...         ...  145 

Wythe  (Dr.  J.  H.),  on  micro- 
scopic graph  iology,  ...     86 

Wright    (Lewis),    exhibition  of 

lantern  microscope,  ...  118 

Zggnemacece,      Bates      on      the 

sexuality  of  the,  ...         ...   104 

ZggnemacecB,  discussion  of  Mi- 
Bates'  paper  on  the  sexua- 
lity of  the 120 


OFFICERS  AND  COMMITTEE, 
(Elected  July,  1884.) 


X 


W.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &C,  &c. 

%xa-1@xtextmxU. 

M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  A.L.S. 

J.  Matthews,  M.D.,  F.E.M.S. 
A.  D.  Michael,  F.L.S.,  F.E.M.S. 

C.  Stewart,  M.R.C.S.,   F.L.S. 


J.  W.  Groves,  F.R.M.S. 
J.  D.  Hardy,  F.E.M.S. 
E.  Jaques,  B.A.,  F.R.M.S. 
E.  M.  Nelson. 
E.  Dads  well. 
Rev.  H.  J.  Fase. 


€oixxxxxxttn, 

H.  R.  Gregory. 

H.  J   Waddington. 

T.  C.  White,  M.R.C.S.,  L.D.S. 

B.  W.  Priest. 

J.  G.  Waller. 

E.  T.  Newton,  F.G.S. 


F.  W.  Gay,  F.R.M.S.,  113,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
G.  C.  Earop,  M.R.C.S.,  198,  Holland  Road,  Kensington,  W. 

Hum.  %tc*  for  $qxmqxx  (koxxtsgoxibixxtt  zxti  Qtitot  of  QoxxxmL 

H.  F.  Hailes,  5,  Richmond  Villas,  Middle  Lane,  Crouch  End,  N. 

'gGXX*  §£1)QXUX. 
R.  T.  Lewis,  F.R.M.S. 


Haw.  Qxbxzxmxx. 
Alpheus  Smith, 
39,  Choumert  Road,  Rye  Lane, 
Peckham,  S.E. 


Dwt.  Curator* 

Charles  Emery, 
9,  New  Road,  Crouch  End,  N. 


11 


PAST     PRESIDENTS. 


EDWIN  LANKESTER,  M.D.,  F.R.S.        -    - 
ERNEST  HART         ------ 

ARTHUR  E.  DURHAM,  F.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,  &c. 

PETER  LE  NEVE  FOSTER,  M.A.  -     - 

LIONEL  S.  BEALE,  M.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c.     -     - 


J) 


>> 


ROBERT  BRAITHWAITE,  M.D.,  F.L.S.,  &c. 
JOHN  MATTHEWS,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S. 
HENRY  LEE,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  F.Z.S. 


n 


V 


?) 


55 


55 


55 


THOS.  H.  HUXLEY,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  &c.     -     - 
T.  SPENCER  COBBOLD,  M.D.,  F.R.S.,  F.L.S.,  &c 
T.  CHARTERS  WHITE,  M.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,  &c. 


M.  C.  COOKE,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  A.L.S. 


V 


}> 


1) 


55 


Elected. 

July,  1865. 
1866. 
1867. 
1868. 
1869. 
1870. 
1871. 
1872. 
1873. 
1874. 
1875. 
1876. 
1877. 
1878. 
1879. 
1880. 
1881. 
1882. 
1883. 


Ill 


HONORARY     MEMBERS. 


Date  of  Election. 


Jan.  24,  1868.     Arthur   Mead    Edwards,    M.D.,    120,   Belleville 

avenue,  Newark,  New  Jersey,  U.S.A. 

Mar.  19, 1869.     The  Rev.  E.  C.  Bolles,  Salem,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 

July  26,  1872.  S.  0.  Lindberg,  M.D.,  Professor  of  Botany,  Uni- 
versity of  Helsingfors,  Finland. 

July  26,  1872.     Prof.  Hamilton   L.   Smith,  President  of  Hobart 

College,  Geneva,  New  York,  U.S.A. 

July  23,  1875.     Lionel  S.    Beale,   M.B.,  F.R.S.,  F.R.M.S.,   &c. 

(Past  President),  61,  Grosvenor  street,  W. 

Sept.  22, 1876.  Frederick  Kitton,  Hon.  F.R.M.S.,  &c.,  3,  Bed- 
ford street,  Un thanks  road,  Norwich. 

July  25,  1879.     W.    B.   CARPENTER,    C.B.,    M.D.,    F.R.S., 

&c,  &c.j  (President),  56,  Regent's  park  road, 
N.W. 

July  25,  1879.     Dr.  E.   Abbe,  University,  Jena,  Saxe  Weimer, 

Germany. 

July  23,  1880.     F.  H.  Wenham,  C.E.,  3,  Gothic  Villas,  Warbeck 

road,  Shepherd's  Bush,  W. 

Nov.  24,  1882.     Dr.   Yeit  B.  Wittrock,  Professor  at  the  Royal 

Academy  of  Sciences,  and  Director  of  the 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  Stockholm, 
Sweden. 


IV 


LIST     OF     MEMBERS. 


Date  of  Election. 

Sept.  24, 1869.     Ackland,    William,     L.S.A.,     F.R.M.S.,     416, 

Strand,  W.O. 

Oct.  26.  1883.     Addiscott,  C.  J.,  Sydney  Villa,  St.  Bildas  road, 

Manor  Park,  Stoke  Newington,  N. 

Nov.  27,  1868.     Adkins,  William,  431,  Oxford  street,  W. 

June  24,  1881.     Alabone,  E.  W.,  M.D.,  175,  Highbury  New  park, 

N. 

Mar.  23,  1866.     Allbon,  William,  F.R.M.S.,  37,  Gloucester  place, 

Portman  square,  W. 

July  26,  1872.     Alstone,  John,  3,  Great  Tower  street,  E.C. 

Dec.  17,  1869.     Ames,  G.  A.  F.R.M.S.,  Union  Club,  Trafalgar 

square,  W.C. 

Dec.  22,  1865.  Andrew,  F.  W.,  3,  Neville  terrace,  Onslow  gar- 
dens, S.W. 

May  28,  1875.  Arrowsmith,  Wastell,  99,  Adelaide  road,  Haver- 
stock  hill,  N.W. 

June  22,  1883.     Ash,  George  C,  141,   Maida  Vale,  W. 

July  25,  1879.     Ashbridge,  Arthur,  76,  Leadenhall  street,  E.C. 

Sept.  27,  1878.     Ashby,   H.   T.,    8,   Bartholomew  road,  Kentish 

town,  N.W. 


i> 


June  26,  1874.     Badcock,   John,  F.R.M.S.,  270,   Victoria  park 

road,  South  Hackney,  E. 
Dec.  28,  1883.     Bailey,  Rev.  G.,  1,  South  vale,  Upper  Norwood, 

S.E. 
Dec.  27,  1867.     Bailey,  J.  W.,  75,  Broke  road,  Dalston,  E. 
April  24, 1868.     Baker,  Charles,  F.R.M.S.,  244,  High  Holborn, 

W.C. 
Feb.  25,  1876.     Ballard,  Dr.  W.  R.,  jun.,  26,  Manchester  square, 

W. 


Date  of  Election. 


v 


June  22,  1883.     Balleine,    Arthur    Edwin,    5,    Heathcote    street, 

Mecklenburg  square,  W.C. 
Jan.  24,   1879.     Barham,  G.  T.,  Danehurst,  Hampstead,  N.W. 
Dec.  27,  1872.     Barnard,  Herbert,  33,  Portland  place,  W. 
April  22, 1870.     Barnes,  C.  B.,  4,  Egremont  villas,  White  horse 

lane,  South  Norwood,  S.E.,  and  27,  Clement's 

lane,  E.C. 
July  27,   1883.     Barnes,    Henry,     Patschull    house,    Dartmouth 

Park  avenue,  N. 
May  25,   1883.     Barratt,  Thomas,  Bell  Moor  House,  Upper  Heath, 

Hampstead,  N.W". 
Sept.  27, 1872.     Bartlett,  Edward,  L.D.S.,  M.R.C.S.E.,  38,  Con- 
naught  square,  W. 
Dec.  28,   1877.     Batehelor,  J.  A.,  Avenue  road,  Bexley,  Kent. 
June  27,  1883.     Bates,   E.,   Assoc.I.C.E.,   45,    Fentiman's  road, 

Clapham  road,  S.E. 
Nov.  26,  1875.     Beaulah,  John,  Raventhorpe,  Brigg. 
July  25,    1884.     Beck,  C,  31,  Comhill,  E.C. 
May  26,  1871.     Bedwell,  F.  A.,  M.A.,  Cantab.,  F.R.M.S.,  West 

parade,  Hull,  Yorkshire. 
Mar.  28,  1884.     Beetham,    A.,    14,    South    square,    Gray's  Inn, 

W.C. 
May  22,   1868.     Berney,  John,  F.R.M  S.,  61,  North  end,  Croydon. 
Oct.  23,   1868.     Bevington,     W.     A.,    F.R.M.S.,    "Avondale," 

Coloraine  road,  Blackheath,  S.E. 
Mar.  28,  1879.     Bird,  F.  E.,  33,  St.  Saviour's  road,  Brixton  hill, 

S.W. 
July  28,  1871.     Bishop,  William,  549,  Caledonian  road,  N. 
May  27,   1881.     Bishop,  0.   S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Oak    villa,   Muswell 

hill,  N. 
Feb.  23,  1866.     Blake,  T.,  58,  Brook  green,  Hammersmith,  W. 
July  27,   1877.     Blenkinsop,  B.,  Shord  hill,  Kenley,  Surrey. 
May  26,   1876.     Blundell,  J.,  38,  Mount  street,  W. 
Jan.  25,  1878.     Bogue,  David,  F.R.M.S.,  3,  St.  Martin's  place, 

Trafalgar  square,  W.C. 
Dec.  27,   1881.     Bolton,  J.  G.  E.,  M.R.C.S.,  Savanne,  Mauritius. 
Jan.  22,   1875.     Bolton,   Thomas,   F.R.M.S.,  57,  Newhall  street, 

Birmingham. 
Nov.  23,  1883.     Bostock,  E.,   "The  Radfords,"  Stone,  Stafford- 
shire. 


VI 

Date  of  Election. 


Feb.  24,  1882.     Bound,  H.  J.,  19,  Torrington  square,  W.C. 
Oct.  27,  1865.     Braithwaite,  Robert,  M.D.,  M.E.C.S.E.,  F.L.S., 

F.R.M.S.  (Past  President),  The  Ferns,  303, 

Clajtliam  road,  S.W. 
June  28,  1878.     Brewster,  W.,  25,  Myddelton  square,  E.C. 
May  26,   1876.     Brigstock,  J.  W.,   4,    Comberton    road,  Upper 

Clapton,  E. 
Oct.  27,  1883.     Brown,    Fredk.    Wm,,  35,  Walterton  road-  St. 

Peter's  park,  Harrow  road,  W. 
May  27,  1870.     Brown,  G.  D.,  M.R.C.S.,  Henley  villa,  Uxbridge 

road,  Ealing,  W. 
Sept.  26, 1879.     Brown,  William,  B.Sc,  3,  Elm  cottages,  Middle 

lane,  Hornsey,  N. 
May  22,    1868.     Brown,    W.    J.,    4,    Heath    villas,  Maple   road, 

Anerley,  S.E. 
May  26,  1871.     Browne,  George,  45,  Victoria  road,  Kentish  town, 

N.W. 
May  28,  1875.     Browne,  J.  W.,  Frascati,  Masons  hill,  Bromley, 

Kent. 
Feb.  27,   1872.     Browne,  Rev.  T.  H.,  F.B.M.S.,  F.G.S.,  M.E.S., 

High  Wycombe,  Bucks. 
Jan.  23,   1880.     Browne,  W.  R.,  317,  Essex  road,  Islington,  N. 
Dec.  22,  1882.     Bucknall,  Edward,  16,  Junction  road,  Highgate, 

N. 
Jan.  26,  1877.     BurTham,T.H.,2,Connaught  road,  Walthamstow. 
June  22,  1883.     Burbidge,  William  Henry,  Stanley  House,  Alleyn 

park,  Dulwich,  S.E. 
June  27,  1884.     Burrows,  W.  J.,   16,    Endymion   road,  Brixton 

hill,   S.W. 
Aug.  22,  1879.     Burton,  William,  27,  Wigmore  street,  W. 
May  23,  1879.     Button,  Arthur,  Albert  Cottages,  Queen's  road, 

Buckhurst  hill. 
June  14,  1865.     Bywater,  W.M.,  F.R.M.S.,  5,  Hanover  square,  W. 

Nov.  22,  1878.     Cafe,  J.  W.,  46,  Clifton  hill,  St.  John's  wood, 

N.W. 
June  25,  1880.     Cambridge,  John,  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  Suffolk. 
Sept.  22,  1876.     Canton,  Frederick,  L.C.R.P.,  M.R.C.S.,  &c,  17, 

Great  Marlborough  street,  Regent  street,  W. 
May  23,    1879.     Carpenter,  H.  S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Beckington  house, 

Weigh  ton  road,  Anerley,  S.E. 


Vll 
Date  of  Election. 

July  23,  1880.     Carr,  Ebenezer,  26,  Bromarroad,  Denmark  park, 

S.E. 

Nov.  24,  1882.     Carr,  Thomas,   M.R.C.S.,  Guy's  Hospital,  S.E. 

May,  26,  1882.     Chapman,  W.  Ingram,  5,  Hollywood  villas,  Mel- 
rose road,  Southfields,  S.W. 

Dec.  27,  1878.     Chatto,  Andrew,  214,  Piccadilly,  W. 

Nov.  27,  1874.     Chippindale,    George,    Grape   villa,  Rothschild 

road,  Chiswick  High  road,  W. 

Dec.  27,  1881.     Claremont,  Claude  Clarke,  M.R.C.S.,  Millbrooke 

house,  Hampstead  road,  N.W. 

Feb.  23,  1883.     Clark,  Joseph,  Street,  Somerset. 

July  25,  1879.     Cobbold,T.  S.,  M.D.,  F.R.S.,  F.L.S.    {Past  Pre- 
sident), 74,  Portsdown  road,  Maida  vale,  W. 

May  22,   1868.     Cocks,  W.  G.,  36,  Gayhurst  road,  Dalston,  E. 

Nov.  25,  1881.     Coffin,  Walter  H.,   F.L.S.,  F.C.S.,   F.R.M.S., 

&c,  94,  Cornwall  gardens,  South  Kensing- 
ton, S.W. 

Sept.  22,  1876.     Cole,    A.    C,    F.R.M.S.,    St.   Domingo   house, 

Oxford  gardens,  Notting  hill,  W. 

Nov.  23,  1883.     Cole,  M.,    St.  Domingo  house,  Oxford  gardens, 

Notting  hill,  W. 

April  24, 1874.     Cole,  William,   M.E.S.,   Hon.    Secretary  Essex 

Naturalists'1    Field    Club,     Laurel    cottage, 
King's  place,  Buckhurst  hill,  Essex. 

Jan.  25,  1867.     Coles,  Ferdinand,  F.L.S. ,  53,  Brooke  road,  Stoke 

Newington  common,  N. 

Mar.  24,  1876.     Colsell,   G.  D.,  1,  Dermody  road,  East  Down, 

Lewisham,  S.E. 

June  14,  1865.     Cooke,  M.C.,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  A.L.S.  {Past  Presi- 
dent), 146,  Junction  road,  Upper  Holloway,  N. 

Feb.  22,  1867.     Cooper,  F.  W.,  L.R.C.S.Edin.,  Leytonstone,  E. 

June  27,  1873.     Corbett,  A.  L.,  103,  Fentiinan's  road,  Clapham 

road,  S.W. 

May  28,  1869.     Cottam,      Arthur,      F.R.A.S.,     H.M.Office    of 

Woods,  Whitehall  place,  S.W. 
July  26,  1872.     Cowan,  T.  W.,  F.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Comptons  Lea, 

Horsham,  Sussex. 
Aug.  28,  1868.     Crisp,  Frank,  LL.B.,  B.A.,  V.P.  and  Treas.  Lin- 

nean  Society ;  Hon.  Sec.  Royal  Microscopical 
Society,  5,  Lansdowne  road,  Notting  hill,W. 


Vlll 


Date  of  Election. 


Dec.  23,  1870.     Crisp,  J.  S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Ashville,    Lewin  road, 

Streatham,  S.W. 
July  26,  1878.     Crockford,  Wm,  2,  St.  Peter's  road,  Mile  end,  E. 
Feb.  23,  1877.     Crofton,   Edward,   M.A.    Oxon,    F.R.M.S.,  45, 

West  Cromwell  road,  South  Kensington,  S.W. 
Sept.  28,  1866.     Crouch,  Henry,  F.R.M.S.,  66,  Barbican,  E.C. 
June  22,  1877.     Cunliffe,  P.G.,  F.R.M.S.,  The  Elms,  Handforth, 

Manchester. 
June  25,  1880.     Curties,  C.  L.,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
May  25,  1866.     Curties,  Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  244,  High  Holborn, 

W.C. 
June  25,  1880.     Curties,  W.  I.,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
Sept.  26,  1879.     Curtis,  Charles,  29,  Baker  street,  Portman  sq.,  W. 
Aug.  22,  1879.     Cuttell,  F.  G.,  52,  New  Compton  street,  Soho,  W. 
April  22,  1881.     Cutting,  W.  M.,  1,  Curtain  road,  E.C. 

Jan.  22,  1875.  Dadswell,  Edward,  42,  Barrington  road,  Stock- 
well,  S.W. 

Mar.  24,  1882.     Dale,  Bernard,  14,  Elm  grove,  Lee,  Kent. 

Nov.  23,  1877.     Dallas,    W.    S.,    F.L.S.,    &c,    the  Geological 

Society,  Burlington  house,  Piccadilly,  W. 

Feb.  23,   1883.     Dallinger,    Rev.     W.     H.,     F.R.S.,    F.R.M.S. 

(President  R.M.S.), Wesley  college,  Sheffield. 

May  23,   1879.     Dallmeyer,  T.   R.,   19,  Bloomsbury  street,  W.C. 

Mar.  22,  1878.     Darby,    the     Ven.    Archdeacon,    St.    Bridget's 

Rectory,  Chester. 

Mar.  22,  1878.     Drake,  Edward,   16,  Rochester  terrace,  Camden 

road,  N.W. 

Oct.  22,  1869.     Davis,  Henry,  19,  Warwick  street,  Leamington. 

Aug.  23,  1883.     Davis,  H.,  108,  Sandringham   road,  Dalston,  E. 

May  23,  1879.     Dawson,  William,  24,  Abbeygate  street,  Bury  St. 

Edmunds,  Suffolk. 

May  28,   1875.     Dean,  Arthur  (Hon.  Sec.  East  Loncl.  Mic.  Soc), 

57,  Southborough  road,  South  Hackney,  E. 

Feb.  23,   1877.     Death,    James,   jun.,  38,   Gladstone    street,  St. 

„   George's  road,  Southwark,  S.E. 

Feb.  28,  1879.     Debenham,  E.  H.,  9,  Mincing  lane,  E.C. 

Jan.  24,   1879.     Deby,  Julien,  C.E.,  F.R.M.S.,  17,  Boulevard  du 

Regent,  Brussels  (care  of  Mr.  Thos.  West- 
wood). 


X 


IX 

Date  of  Election. 

Nov.  24,  1876.     Despointes,  Francis,  16,    St.    George's    square, 

Regent's  park  road,  N.W. 
Nov.  24,  1865.     Dobson,  H.  H.,  F.R.M.S.,  Holuiesdale,  Grange 

park,  Ealing,  W. 
Nov.  27,  1868.     Douglas,  Rev.  R.  C,  Manaton  rectory,  Moreton- 

hampstead,  Exeter. 
Oct.  25,   1878.     Dowler,  Captain  F.  E.,  28,  Albermarle  street,  W. 
Jan.  23,   1880.     Dowsett,  G.  H.,  11,  Gloucester  place,  Greenwich, 

S.E. 
May  25,  1883.     Drake,  C.  A.,  The  Distillery,  Three  Mill  lane, 

Bromley-by-Bow. 
July  25,  1879.     Driver,    Alfred,    30,  Leigham  court  road  west, 

Streatham,  S.W. 
Aug.  26,  1872.     Dudgeon,  R.  E.,  M.D.,  53,  Montagu  square,  W. 
Oct.  25,  1872.     Dunning,  C.  G.,  55,  Camden  park  road,  N.W. 
Sept.  22,  1865.     Durham,  A.   E.,   F.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,    F.R.M.S., 

&c.    {Past     President),    82,    Brook    street, 

Grosvenor  square,  W. 
July  27,   1883.     Durrand,  Alexander,  5,  Philbrick  terrace,  Nun- 
head  lane,  Peckbam  Rye,  S.E. 

Sept.  25,  1868.     Eddy,  J.  R.,    F.R.M.S.,  F.G.S.,   The    Grange, 

Carleton,  Skipton,  Yorkshire. 
June  28,  1867.     Edmonds,  R.,  178,  Burrage  road,Plumstead,  S.E. 
July  25,  1884.     Ellis,    J.    H.,    The    Lindens,     Geraldine    road, 

Wandsworth,  S.W. 
May  26,    1876.     Emery,   Charles   (Hon.    Curator),  9,  New  road, 

Crouch  end,  N. 
May  26,   1871.     Enock,  Frederick,  Ferndale,  Bath  road,  Woking 

Station. 
Feb.  28,   1879.     Epps,  Hahnemann,  95,  Upper  Tulse  hill,  Brixton, 

S.W. 
Feb.  21,   1884.    Epps,  J.,  jun,,  The  Homestead,  Ross  Road,  South 

Norwood  Hill,  S.E. 
Dec.  27,   1878.     Erlebach,  H.  A.,  Mill  hill  school,  Mill  hill,  N.W. 

July  25,   1873.     Fase,  Rev.  H.  J.,  5,  Bessborough  gardens,  S.W. 
June  25,  1875.     Faulkner,    Henry,  jun.,  Fernwood,  Roehampton 

park,  S.W. 
Jan.  28,    1876.     Faulkner,  John,  20,  Mornington  crescent,  N.W. 
Aug.  25,  1882.     Field,  W.  H.,  5,  Palace  road,  Crouch  end,  N. 


X 

Date  of  Election. 

Feb.  27,  1880.     Fieldwick,     Alfred,     jun.,    284,    Dalston   lane, 

Hackney,  E. 
July  22,  1881.     Firth,  W.  A.,  Whiterock,  Belfast. 
July  26,  1867.     Fitch,  Frederick,  F.R.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Hadleigh 

house,  Highbury  New  park,  N.  , 
Feb.  24,  1882.     Fitch,   J.    N.,    17,    Eversholt    street,     Camden 

Town,  N.W. 
Oct.  26,   1883.     Fleetwood,  G.,  388,  Camden  road,  N. 
Nov.  28,  1879.     Foster,  William,  jun.,  Cleveland  road,  Woodford, 

Essex 
Mar.  24,  1871.     Foulerton,    John,    M.D.,  44,   Pemb ridge  villas, 

Bayswater,  W. 
Dec.  28,  1866.     Fox,  C.  J.,  F.R.M.S.,  26,  South  Molton  street, 

Oxford  street,  W. 
Nov.  26,  1875.     Freckelton,  Rev.  T.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  28a,  Lons- 
dale square,  Islington,  N. 
June  23,  1871.     Freeman,    H.   E.,  60,  Plimsoll   road,  Finsbury 

park,  N. 
May  22,  1868.     Fryer,  G.  H.,  107,  Belsize  road,  N.W. 
July  23,  1880.     Funston,  James,  93,  Finsbury  pavement,  E.C. 

June  23,  1882.     Garden,    Alexander,    M.D.,    Brigade    Surgeon, 

Laharempore,  India,  care   of  R.  S.  Garden, 

200,  Piccadilly,  W. 
Mar.  25,  1870.     Garden,  R.  S.,  42,  Carlton  hill,  St.  John's  wood, 

N.W. 
Feb.  26,  1875.     Gardner,  Edmund,  454,  Strand,  W.C. 
July  27,  1877.     Gardner,  J.  H.,  A.K.C.,  44,  Berners  street,  W. 
April  23, 1880.     Gates,  G.  W.  H.,  21,  Lombard  street,  E.C. 
July    7,    1865.     Gay,  F.  W.,  F.R.M.S.   {Eon.   Treasurer),  113, 

High  Holborn,  W.C. 
June  25,  1880.     George,    C.    F.,   M.R.C.S.,    Kirton-in-Lindsey, 

Lincolnshire. 
July  26,   1867.     George,    Edward,    F.R.M.S.,  12,    Derby  villas, 

Forest  hill,  S.E. 
April  27,  1877.     Gilbertson,  Henry,  Mangrove  house,  Hertford. 
June  24,  1881.     Gilburt,  Henry,  63,  Rectory  road,   Stoke  New- 

ington,  N. 
Oct.  27,  1876.     Gilburt,  W.  H.,  F.R.M.S.,  48,  Wetherell  road, 

South  Hackney,  E. 


V 


XI 

Date  of  Election. 

June  27,  1873.     Glasspole,  H.  G.,  15,  Mall  road,  Hammersmith, 

W. 
Nov.  28,  1879.     Goodinge,  A.  C,  119,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
April  26,  1872.     Goodinge,    J.    W.,    F.R.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  119, 

High  Holborn,  W.C. 
Nov.  23,  1877.     Goodwin,    William,    24,    Miranda    road,    Upper 

Holloway,  N. 
July  27,  1883.     Goold,    Ernest    H.,    C.E.,    F.Z.S.,    M.R.I.,   4, 

Dane's  Inn,  Strand,  W.C. 
Mar.  27,  1866.     Gray,  S.  0.,  Bank  of  England,  E.C. 
Feb.  24,  1882.     Greening,  Linnaeus,  Birch  house,  Warrington. 
Oct.  23,   1868.     Greenish,    Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  20,    New  street, 

Dorset  square,  N.W. 
Oct.  23,    1868.     Gregory,  H.  R.,  7,  Quality  court,  Chancery  lane. 
April  27,  1883.     Gregory,  William,  98,  Brockley  road,  St.  John's, 

S.E. 
July  24.   1868.     Groves,  J.    W.,    F.R.M.S.,    90,  Holland    road, 

Kensington,  W.,  and   Physiological  Labora- 
tory, King's  College,  W.C. 
May  28,  1880.     Groves,  William,  28,  Manor  park,  Lee,  S.E. 
July  24,   1868.     Grubbe,  E.  W.,  C.E.,  73,  Redcliffe  gardens,  S.W. 
Jan.  27,    1871.     Guimaraens,  A.  de  Souza,  F.R.M.S.,  48,  Heron 

road,  Heme  hill,  S.E. 

Sept.  28, 1877.     Hagger,  John,  Repton  school,  Burton-on-Trent. 

Feb.  25,  1881.     Haigh,     William,    Tempsford     villa,    Uxbridge 

road,  Ealing,  W. 

June  14,  1865.     Hailes,    H.    F.    {Hon.    Secretary    for    Foreign 

Correspondence  and  Editor),  5,  Richmond 
villas,  Middle  lane,  Crouch  end,  N. 

Aug.  26,  1870.     Hailstone,  R,  H.,  91,  Adelaide  road,  N.W. 

Feb.  23,  1867.     Hainworth,  William,  3,  Pembury  road,  Clapton, 

E. 

July  28,  1876.  Halford,  Edward,  18,  Leinster  square,  Bays- 
water,  W. 

Dec.  28,  1866.     Hallett,    R.   J.,    123,    Seymour  street,    Euston 

square,  N.W. 

Feb.  22,  1869.     Hammond,  A.,  F.L.S.,  5,  Swiss  terrace,  Elmers 

end  road,  Beckenham,  S.E. 

Jane  25,  1880.     Hancock,  H.  S.  H.,  50,  Springdale  road,  Stoke 

Newington,  N. 


xn 
Date  of  Election, 

Jan.  24,  1879.     Harding,  Burcham,  128,  Adelaide  road,  N.W. 

Feb.  24,   1882.      Harding,  J.  H.,  4,  Finsbury  square,  E.C. 

July  23,   1880.     Hardingham,   A.   S.,  59,    St.    George's    square, 

S.W. 
July  25,  1879.     Hardingham,  G.  G.,  F.R.M.S.,  33,  St.  George's 

square,  S.W. 
Jan.  23,    1874.     Hardy,    J.    D.,    F.R.M.S.,    73,    Clarence    road, 

Clapton,  E.,  and  4,  Lombard  street,  E.C. 
Sept.  28,  1866.     Harkness,  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  Laboratory,  Somerset 

house,  W.C. 
June  23,  1871.     Harris,  Edward,  F.R.M.S.,  Rydal  villa,  Longton 

grove,  Upper  Sydenham,  S.E. 
April  23,  1875.     Harrison,    James,    150,    Akerman    road,  North 

Brixton,  S.W. 
May  23,  1884.      Havers,  J.  C,  Wood  Lea,  Bedford  hill,  Balham, 

S.W. 
Mar.  28,  1879.     Hawkins,  C.  E.,  H.M.  Geological  Survey,  Jer- 

myn  street,  S.W. 
June  28,  1867.     Hawksley,  T.  P.,  97,  Adelaide  road,  N.W. 
June  22,  1883.     Hazlewood,  Jas.  Edmund,  F.R.M.S.,  3,  Lennox 

place,  Brighton. 
Aug.  23, 1872.     Hembry,  F.  W.,  F.R.M.S.  {Hon.  Sec,  S.  Lond. 

Mic.    and   Nat.   Hist.    Soc),    Home    Lea, 

Hatherley  road,  Sidcup,  Kent. 
June  26,  1868.     Henry,  A.  H.,  73,  RedclifTe  gardens,  S.W. 
Sept.  23,  1881.     Hensoldt,  Heinrich,  7,   Machell  road,  Nunhead, 

S.E. 
April  25, 1884.     Higgins,    J.,    London    University,    Burlington 

gardens,  W. 
Dec.  22,  1882.     Hilditch,  James  Bracebridge,  Asgill  house,  Rich- 
mond, Surrey. 
June  22,  1877.     Hill,  R.  W.,  41,  Lothbury,  E.C. 
Sept.  24, 1869.     Hilton,  T.  D.,  M.D.,  Upper  Deal,  Kent. 
Sept.  28,  1866.     Hind,  F.  H.  P.,  Bartholomew  house,   Bartholo- 
mew lane,  E.C. 
May  22,  1874.     Hind,  George,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
Aug.  26,  1870.     Hirst,    John,     F.R.M.S.,     Ladcastle,    Dobcross, 

Manchester. 
Feb.  26,  1875.     Holford,    Christopher,    Bounty    Office,    Dean's 

yard,  Westminster,  S.W. 


Xlll 

Date  of  Election. 

Jan.  23,   1880.     Holland,  C.  F.,  Brooke  road,  Upper  Clapton,  E. 

July  25,  1884.     Holmes,  W.  M.,  63,  Lupus  street,  S.W. 

April  26,  1867.     Hooton,  Charles,   Sunningdale  house,  Bickerton 

road,  Upper  Holloway,  N. 
Nov.  26,  1880.     Hopkins,  Robert,    Shearn    villa,    Walthamstow, 

Essex. 
Oct.  26,  1866.     Horncastle,    Henry,     Cobham,    near     Woking 

station. 
June  25,  1869.     Houghton,  W.,  Hoe  street,  Walthamstow,  E. 
May  22,  1874.     Hovenden,  C.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  65,  Rue  de  Fau- 
bourg Poissoniere,  Paris. 
April  26,  1867.     Hovenden,  Frederick,  F.R.M.S.,  Glenlea,  Thur- 

low  park  road,  Dulwich,  S.E. 
Oct.  27,    1876.     Howard,  D.,  60,  Belsize  park,  N.W. 
Oct.  25,   1878.     Howling,    W.    E.,    Crowley's    Brewery,    Alton, 

Hants. 
Jan.  23,  1880.     Hunt,  Frederick,  York  lodge,  Stamford  hill,  N. 
Dec.  22,  1876.     Hunter,  J.  J.,  20,  Cranbournp.  street,  W.C. 
July  25,  1873.     Hurst,  J.  T.,  1,  Raymond  villas,  Geraldine  road, 

Wandsworth,  S.W. 
June  28,  1878.     Huxley,  Prof.  T.  H.,  F.R.S.,&c.  (Past  President), 

Science  Schools,  South  Kensington,  S.W. 

May  24,  1867.     Ingpen,  J.  E.,  F.R.M.S.,  7,  The  Hill,  Putney, 

S.W. 

Dec.  17,   1875.     Jackson,  C.  L.,  F.L.S.,  F.Z.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Hill 

Fold,  Sharpies,  Bolton. 

July  24,   1868.     Jackson,  F.  R.,  Culver  cottage,  Slindon,  Arundel, 

Sussex. 

June  25,  1880.     Jacques,  Walter,  2,  Fenchurch  buildings,  E.C. 

Aug.  25,  1882.  Jakeman,  Christopher,  72,  South  street,  Green- 
wich. 

June  14,  1865.     Jaques,  Edward,  B.A.,  H.M.  Office  of  Woods, 

Whitehall  place,  S.W. 

Feb.  28,  1873.     Jenkins,  J.  W.,  3,  Harcourt  road,  Wallington. 

Feb.  21,  1884.      Jennings,  A.  V.,  8,  Broadhurst  gardens,   South 

Hampstead,  N.W. 

July  24,  1868.     Jennings,   Rev.  Nathaniel,  M.A.,  F.R.A.S.,  8, 

Broadhurst  gardens,  South  Hampstead,  N.W. 


XIV 

Date  of  Election. 

Feb.  24,  1871.     Johnson,  M.  Hawkins,  F.R.M.S.,  F.G.S.,  379, 

Euston  road,  N.W. 
Mar.  24,  1871.     Johnstone,  James,  Stanhope  lodge,  Bideford. 
Feb.  28,  1873.     Jones,  G.  J.,   Gainsborough  house,  Lymington. 
June  25,  1875.     Jones,  J.  B.,  F.R.M.S.,  St.  George's  Chambers, 

10,  St.  George's  crescent,  Liverpool. 
Nov.  25,  1870.     Jones,  Lieut.- Col.  Lewis,  Westgate-on- Sea,  Isle 

of  Thanet. 
May  23,   1873.     Jones,  Captain  L.  F.,  United  Service  Club,  Pall 

Mall,  S.  W. 
June  23,  1876.     Jones,  T.  E.,46,  Park  street,  Stoke  Newington,  N. 
Jan.  27,  1882.     Jones,  Rev.    T.    R.,   M.A.,  Codicote   Vicarage, 

Welwyn,  Herts. 

May  23,   1873.     Karop,  G.  C,  M.R.C.S.,  &c.  {Hon.  Secretary), 

198,  Holland  road,  Kensington,  W. 

Feb.  21,  1884.     Kell,   F.    W.,    20,  Croftdown    road,    Highgate 

Rise,  N. 

July  25,  1884.     Kern,  J.  J.,  Fern  Glen,   Selhurst   park,  South 

Norwood,  S.E. 

Aug.  23,  1867.     Kiddle,  Edward,  1,  Cleveland  villas,  Rosemount 

road,  Richmond  hill,  S.W. 

Mar.  19,  1869.     Kilsby,  T.  W.,4,  Brompton  villas,  Edmonton. 

April  22,  1881.     King,    H.  W.,  The    Cedars,   Upper  park  road, 

New  Southgate,  N. 

Dec.  23,  1870.     King,    Robert,    F.R.M.S.,    Fern    house,    Upper 

Clapton,  E. 

May  24,  1878.     King,    W.    T.,    M.D.,    M.R.C.S.,    74,    Victoria 

park  road,  South  Hackney,  E. 

Nov.  26,  1880.     Kingsett,  C.  T.,  F.C.S.,  F.I.C. 

Feb.  28,  1873.  Kitsell,  F.  J.,  24,  St.  Stephen's  avenue,  Gold- 
hawk  road,  Shepherd's  Bnsh,  W. 

Mar.  23,  1877.     Kluht,  H.  J.,  44,  Norfolk  terrace,  Bayswater,  W. 

Oct.  24,  1873.     Knight,  J.  M.,  50,  Bow  road,  E. 

Nov.  25,  1870.     Ladd,  William,  F.R.A.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Trewinian, 

Burnt  Ash  hill,  Lee,  Kent. 
Jan.  24,   1879.     Lancaster,    A.    H.,    7,   Campden    hill   gardens, 

Kensington,  W. 
May  23,  1884.     Lancaster,    E.   Le    Gonier,    16,  Wharton   road, 

West  Kensington  park,  W. 


XV 

Bate  of  Election. 

Mar.  22,  1867.     Lancaster,    Thomas,    Bownhaui    house,    Stroud, 

Gloucestershire. 
Jan.  28,  1881.     Lankester,  H.  H.,  Ewendwr  road,  West  Kensing- 

ington,  W. 
May  28,   1875.     Larkin,  John,  24,  Charterhouse  square,  E.C. 
Nov.  26,  1880.     Larkin,  R.  J.,  98,  Clarence  road,  Lower  Clapton, 

E. 
June  25,  1869.     Layton,  C.  E.,  12,  Upper  Hornsey  rise,  N. 
April  25,  1884.     Lawrence,  T.  W.  P.,  47,  Upper  Bedford  place, 

W.C. 
Aug.  28,  1868.     Leaf,  C.  J.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  &c.  {President  of 

the  Old  Change  Microscopical  Society),  Old 

Change,  E.C. 
Mar.  19,  1869.     Lee,     Henry,     F.L.S.,    F.R.M.S.,    &c.    {Past 

President),  Ethelbert  house,  Margate. 
Feb.  25,  1881.     Leicester,    Alfred,    Lynwood,     Harbord    street, 

Waterloo,  near  Liverpool. 
Oct.  25,  1867.     Leifchild,    J.    R.,  M.A.,  6,   St.  Lawrence  road, 

Notting  hill,  W. 
Sept.  22, 1865.     Leighton,  W.  H.,  2,  Merton  place,  Chiswick,  W. 
April  27,  1866.     Lewis,    R.    T.,    F.R.M.S.    {Hon.  Reporter),    1, 

Masbro'  road,  Brook  green,  W. 
June  26,  1868.     Lindley,   W.    H.,  jun.,  29,  Blittersdorffs  platz, 

Frankfort-on-Maine. 
May  26,   1871.     Locke,  John,  16,  Georgiana  street,  Camden  town, 

N.W. 
April  23,  1869.     Long,  Henry,  90,  High  street,  Croydon. 
Nov.  24,  1866.     Lovibond,  J.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,    St.    Anne    street, 

Salisbury. 
Sept.  22,  1866.     Lovick,  T.,  53,  Queen's  crescent,  Haverstock  hill, 

N.W. 
April  27, 1866.     Loy,   W.    T.,    F.R.M.S.,   Five  Oaks,  Billings- 
hurst,  Sussex. 

Feb.  21,  1884.     McCrie,    G.,     94,     North     Frederick     street, 

Glasgow. 
Nov.  23,  1866.     Mclntire,    S.    J.,    F.R.M.S.,   14,    Hetley  road, 

Uxbridge  road,  Shepherd's  bush,  W. 
Jan.  23,  1880.     Mackenzie,  James,  Warden  villa,  Uxbridge  road, 

Ealing,  W. 


XVI 
Date  of  Election. 


April  27, 1883.     McManis,   Thos.   John,   28,     Northcote    street, 

Walthamstow,  E. 
Jan.  24,  1884.     Macrae,  A.  C,  M.D.,  119,  Westbourne  terrace, 

Hyde  Park,  W. 
June  28,  1878.     Magor,  J.  B.,  L.D.S.,  24,  Chapel  street,  Penzance. 
July  26,  1874.     Magor,  Thomas,  M.D.,  Eagle  cottage,  Hornsey, 

N. 
May  25,  1883.     Mainland,  G.  E.,  115,  Forest  road,  Dalston,  E. 
May  25,  1883.     Mais,  H.   T.,  Coathorpe,  M.I.C.E.,  Engineer  in 

Chief,  Adelaide,  South  Australia  (care  of  T. 

dirties,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C.). 
Sept. 27, 1872.     Manning,  H.  E.  the  Cardinal  Archbishop,  Arch- 
bishop's house,  Westminster,  S.W. 
July  27,  1883.     Mansfield,   Edward  Joseph,    176,   Evering  road, 

Upper  Clapton,  E. 
Jan.  23,  1880.     Martin,  Francis,  R.N.,  Shrub  cottage,  Fairfield 

road,  Old  Charlton,  Kent. 
April  26, 1867.     Matthews,  G.  K.,  St.  John's  lodge,  Beckenham, 

Kent. 
Oct.  26,  1866.     Matthews,  John,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S.  ( V.  P.  and  Past 

President) ,  30,  Colebrook  row,  Islington,  N. 
May  26,  1871.     May,   J.   W.,   F.R.M.S.,  Arundel  house,    Percy 

cross,  Fulham,  S.W. 
Feb.  25,  1876.     May,  W.  R.,  52,  Malvern  road,  Dalston,  E. 
Mar.  22,  1867.     Meacher,  J.   W.,  10,  Hillmarten  road,  Camden 

road,  N. 
Feb.  28,  1879.     Menzies,  James,  13,  Leighton  grove,  N.W. 
May  22,  1874.     Messenger,  G.  A.,  Lloyds,  E.C. 
July  27,  1877.     Michael,    A.    D.,    F.L.S.,    F.R.M.S.     (Vice- 
President),      Cadogan      Mansions,      Sloane 

square,  Chelsea,  S.W. 
May28, 1880.      Miles,    Andrew,    23,    Hanover    park,    Peckham, 

S.E. 
July  7,  1865.      Millett,  F.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  Marazion,  Cornwall. 
Oct.  22,  1880.     Milner,   W.  E.,  47,  Park  road,  Haverstock  hill, 

N.W. 
Sept.  22,1882.     Moore,  George,  7,  Draper's  gardens,    Throgmor- 

ton  street,  E.C. 
Jan.  23,  1874.     Moreland,  Richard,  jun.,  M.I.C.E.,  F.R.M.S.,  4, 

The  Quadrant,  Highbury,  N. 


V 


XV11 
Date  of  Election. 

July  26,  1878.     Morland,  Henry,  Cranford,  near  Hounslow. 

Oct.  27,  1866.     Morrieson,  Colonel  R.,  F.R.M.S.,  Oriental  Club, 

Hanover  square,  W. 
Dec.  27,  1876.     Morris,  J.  G.,  M.R.C.S.,  135,  St.  Owen  street, 

Hereford. 
Jan.  24,  1879.     Murray,  James,  Osborne  bouse,  50,  Percy  road, 

Shepherd's  busb,  W. 

Feb.  22,  1878.     Needham,  S.  H.,  F.R.G.S.,  F.G.S.,  33,  Somer- 

field  road,  Finsbury  park,  N. 
Mar.  24,  1876.     Nelson,    E.   M.,   Cleve  bouse,  West  End   lane, 

West  Hampstead,  N.W. 
Mar.  24,  1871.     Nelson,  James,  238,  Kennington  road,  S.E. 
Nov.  25,  1881.     Nevius,  R.  T.  G.,  80,  Tufnell  park  road,  N. 
Jan.  26,  1872.     Newton,    E.    T.,   F.G.S.,    Geological    Museum, 

Jermyn  street,  S.W. 
Feb.  27,  1880.     Niven,  George,  Bank  of  Australia,  67,  Cornbill, 

E.C. 
May  22,  1874.     Nixon,  P.  C,  Oporto,  Portugal. 
Aug.  26, 1881.     Northey,  M.  D.,  4,  Lower  Brighton  terrace,  Sur- 

biton. 

Jan.  24,  1879.     Offord,  J.  M.,  6,  Boundary  road,  St.  John's  Wood, 

N.W. 
Dec.  22,  1876.     Ogilvy,  C.  P.,  F.L.S.,  Sizewell  house,  Leiston, 

near  Saxmundbam,  Suffolk. 
May  24,  1878.     O'Hara,  Lt.-Col.  Richard,  F.R.M.S.  (late  Royal 

Artillery),  West  Lodge,  Galway. 
Dec.  28,  1883.  Oliver,  J.,  123,  Stamford  street,  S.E. 
June  23, 1882.     Ollard,  John   Alex.,   F.R.M.S.,  Ye  Hermitage, 

Forty  hill,  Enfield. 
July  28,  1882.     Ondaatje,  Dr.  W.  C,  F.R.M.S.,  Galle,  Ceylon. 
Dec.  27,  1867.     Oxley,   Frederick,   F.R.M.S.,  8,  Crosby  square, 

Bishopsgate  street,  E.C. 

July  25,  1879.     Palmer,  G.  H.,  95,  Cornwall  gardens,  S.W. 
Oct.  27,  1871.     Parsons,  F.  A.,  90,  Leadenball  street,  E.C. 
Dec.  28,  1877.     Partridge,  Thos.,  M.D.,  Stroud,  Gloucestersbire. 
April  23,  1875.     Peal,  C.  N.,  F.R.M.S.,  Fernhurst,  Mattock  lane, 

Ealing,  W. 


xvin 

Date  of  Election. 


Feb.  23,  1883.     Pearce,   Fredk.   Ernest,   14,   Bloomsbury    street, 

W.C. 
May  24,  1867.     Pearson,  John,  212,  Edgcware  road,  W. 
July  22,  1881.     Perigal,  Henry,  F.R.A.S.,   F.R.M.S.,   9,  North 

crescent,  Bedford  square,  W.C. 
Oct.  27,  1865.     Pickard,  J.  F.,  195,  Great  Portland  street,  W. 
May  23,  1879.     Richer,  W.  J.,  F.R.C.S.,  &c,  Boston,  Lincoln- 

shire. 
June  24,  1881.     Pilley,  J.  J.,  8,  Ellesmere  road  north,  Bow,  E., 

and  the  Old  College,  Dulwich. 
Jan.  22,  1869.     Pillischer,    Moritz,    F.R.M.S.,   88,    New    Bond 

street,  W. 
Sept.  27,  1878.     Plomer,  G.  D.,  F.R.M.S.,  48,  Springfield  road, 

St.  John's  Wood,  N.W. 
Nov.  23,  1883.     Plowman,  T.,  junr.,  St.  Mellim,  Bush  Hill  park, 

Enfield. 
Sept.  28,  1877.     Pocklington,  Henry,  F.R.M.S.,  20,  Park  road, 

Leeds. 
Nov.  23,  1866.     Potter,  George,  F.R.M.S.,  42,  Grove  road,  Hol- 

loway,  N. 
Jan.   25,  1878.     Potts,  R.  A.,  26,  South  Audley  street,  W. 
June  24,  1881.     Potts,    William,     Hillside    avenue,    Beckenham, 

Kent. 
June  22,  1866.     Powe,  I.,  71,  George  street,  Richmond,  Surrey. 
Aug.  25, 1882.     Powell,  George,  86,  Avondale  square,  S.E. 
April  25, 1879.     Powell,  H.  P.,  Mill  Piatt,  Isleworth. 
May  26,  1876.     Powell,  J.   T.,  32,  Dunlace  road,  Lower  Clapton, 

E. 
July    7,    1865.     Powell,  Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  18,  Doughty  street, 

Mecklenburg  square,  W.C. 
June  27,  1873.     Priest,  B.  W.,  22,  Parliament  street,  S.W. 
May  23,   1879.     Pritchard,  J.  D.,  Crymlyn  Burrows, near  Swansea. 
July  26,  1867.     Pritchett,   Francis,   Clifford  house,  South  Nor- 
wood park,  S.E. 
Feb.  25,   1881.     Probyn,  Clifford,  55,  Grosvenor  street,  W. 

April  23,  1868.     Quekett,   A.   J.   S.,  51,  Warwick  road,  Maida 

hill,  W. 
April  23,  1868.     Quekett,    A.    E.,   51,     Warwick   road,    Maida 

hill,  W. 


XIX 
Date  of  Election. 


April  23,  1868.     Quekett,  Rev.  Win,  The  Rectory,  Warrington. 
Feb.    23,  1866.     Quick,  G.  E.,  74,  Long  lane,  Bermondsey,  S.E. 

Oct.  26,  1866.     Rabbits,  W.  T.,  Irongates,  Dacres  road,  Forest 

hill,  S.E. 
June  25,  1875.     Radford,  W.  S.,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S.,  Sidmouth. 
Oct.   26,  1866.     Ramsden,     Hildebrand,     M.A.     Cant.,    F.L.S. 

F.R.M.S.,  26,  Upper  Bedford  place,  Russell 

square,  W.C. 
Aug.  28,  1868.     Ranee,  T.  G.,  Elmside,  Bickley,  Kent. 
June  24,  1881.     Ransom,  F.,  Fairfield,  Hitchin. 
July  23,  1880.     Read,  Rev.  William,  M.  A.,  F.R.A.S.,  F.R.M.S., 

&c,  Worthing,  Sussex. 
Dec.   27.  1878.     Reed,  J.  M.,  Sidmouth  house,  South  park,  Ilford, 

E. 
June  22,  1877.     Reed,  J.  W.,  F.R.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  17,  Colebrooke 

row,  Islington,  N. 
June  27,  1873.     Reeve,  Frederick,  113,  Clapbam  road,  S.W. 
July     7,  1865.     Reeves,    W.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,    36,   Ashburnham 

grove,  Greenwich,  S.E. 
May   22,  1874.     Reid,  W.  W.,  Corra  Lynn,  Selhurst  park,  South 

Norwood,  S.E. 
Oct.    28,  1881.     Reynolds,  W.  P.,  74,  King  William  street,  E.C. 
May  23,  1879.     Rideout,   William,   F.R.M.S.  {Hon.  Sec.  Bolton 

Microscopical  C/ub),  Hulliwell,  Bolton. 
May    22,  1868.     Rogers,  John,    F.R.M.S.,   4,    Tennyson    street, 

Nottingham. 
Oct.    26,  1866.     Rogers,  Thomas,  F.L.S. ,  F.R.M.S.,  Selmeston 

house,  Thurlow  park  road,  West  Dulwich. 
May   22,  1868.     Roper,  Freeman,  C.S.,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,F.R.M.S., 

Palgrave  house,  Eastbourne,  Sussex. 
June  23,  1876.     Roper,    H.   J.,    F.R.M.S.,    7,    Carlton    grove, 

Peckham,  S.E. 
Oct.   27,  1876.     Roper,  Robert,  29,  Hampton  road,  Upton,  Essex. 
Jan.   24,  1884.     Rosseter,  T.  B.,  F.R.M.S.,  Fleur  de  Lis  Hotel, 

Canterbury. 
Jan.  26,  1883.     Rousselet,  Charles,  42,  Welbeck  street,  W. 
July    24,  1868.     Rowe,  James,  jun.,  M.R.C.V.S.,  65,  High  street, 

Marylebone,  W. 
Oct.    27,  1865.     Russell,  James,  10,  High  street,  Shoreditch,  E. 


XX 

Date  of  Election. 


May    22,  1868.     Russell,  T.  D.,  Coningsby  villas,  Rosendale  road, 

West  Dulwich,  S.E. 
Feb.    22, 1867.     R utter,  H.  L.,  24,  Crownhurst  road,  Angel  road, 

Brixton,  S.W. 

Nov.  22,  1878.     Sabel,    E.   E.,   6,  Grove  road,   Clapbam   park, 

S.W. 
May  28,  1873.     Salkeld,  Lt.-Col.  J.  C,  F.R.M.S.,  29,  St.  James's 

street,  S.W. 
Dec.   17,  1869.     Salmon,    John,    24,    Seymour    street,    Euston 

square,  N.W. 
Dec.  28,  1877.     Sands,  Charles,  5,  Woburn  place,  Russell  square, 

w.c. 

June  27,  1879.     Sawyer,  G.  D.,  F.R.M.S.,  55,  Buckingham  place, 

Brighton. 
Feb.   27,  1880.     Schulze,  Adolf,  1,  St.  James's  street,  Hillhead, 

Glasgow,  N.B. 
Feb.  26,  1875.     Scofield,  W.  J.,  M.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,  19,  Grosvenor, 

Bath. 
Aug.  24,  1883.     Searle,  A.  H.,  31,  Hilldrop  crescent,  Camden 

road,  N.W. 
Mar.  24, 1882.     Selby,  H.,  100,  Netherwood  road,  W. 
July  27,  1868.     Sewell,  Richard,  Ashmare  house,  Keston,  Kent. 
May   25,  1883.     Sharer,  W.  R.,  60,  Thornhill  square,  Barnsbury, 

N. 
July  23,  1880.     Shaw,  H.  V.,  Fir  Croft,  Keymer,  Hurstpierpoint, 

Sussex. 
Oct.  22,  1869.     Shaw,  W.  F.  Mosshall  grove,  Finchley,  N. 
May  26,  1876.     Shepheard,  Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  Kingsley  lodge, 

Chester. 
May   26,  1871.     Sigsworth,  J.  C,  F.R.M.S.,   43,   South  Eaton 

place,  S.W. 
June  27,  1873.     Simmonds,  J.  E.,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  King's 

road,  Chelsea,  S.W. 
Aug.  23,  1867.     Simmons,  J.  J.,   L.D.S.,  18,   Burton  crescent, 

Euston  road,  N.W. 
Oct.    28,  1881.     Simons,  W.  V.,  Nilgiri  house,  Baldwin  crescent, 

Camberwell,  S.E.' 
May   26,  1876.     Simpson,   Edward,   24,  Grummant  road,    Peck- 
ham  road,  S.E. 


XXI 

Date  of  Election. 


Feb.  23,  1883.     Simpson,  Isaac,  1,  Junction  road,  Upper   Hollo- 
way,  N. 
Mar.  27,  1868.     Simson,  Thomas,  St.  Peter's  alley,  Cornhill,  E.C. 
Dec.    28,  1866.     Slacle,  J.,  Albion  road,  Bexley  heath,  Kent. 
Oct.    23,  1868.     Smart,  William,  27,  Aldgate,  E. 
May   25,  1866.     Smith  Alpheus  (Hon.  Librarian),  39,  Choumert 

road,  Rye  lane,  Peckham,  S.E. 
April  23,1880.     Smith,  A.  S.,  Silvermere,  Cobham,  Surrey. 
July  25,  1879.     Smith,  C.  V.,  5,  Parade,  Caermarthen. 
Mar.  25,  1870.     Smith,   F.   L.,   3,   Grecian  cottages,  Crown  hill, 

Norwood,  S.E. 
June  27,  1873.     Smith,  G.  J.,   F.R.M.S.,  73,  Farringdon  street, 

E.C. 
Dec.  23,  1870.     Smith,  J.  A.,  Eastwell,  Westgate  road,  Becken- 

ham,  Kent. 
Oct.  26,  1877.     Smith,    Samuel,    Maldon    house,   17,   Sydenham 

park,  S.E. 
Mar.  24,  1882.     Smith,    W.    Dalton,    2,  ,Craigs  court,   Charing 

Cross,  S.W. 
Aug.  23,  1872.     Smith,  W.  S.,  30,  Loraine  road,  Holloway,  N. 
April  24,  1868.     Snellgrove,    W.,   58,  Cranfield   road,   Wickham 

park,  S.E. 
Sep.   22,  1865.     Southwell,  C,  44,  Princes  street,  Soho,  W. 
May   26,  1876.     Southwell,   C.  W.,  35,  Douglas  road,   Cannon- 
bury,  N. 
May   22,  187 4.     Spencer,  James,    F.R.M.S.,   50,  South   street, 

-  Greenwich,  S.E. 
June  26, 1868.     Spencer,     John,    Brooks'   Bank,   81,    Lombard 

street,  E.C. 
Dec.   28,  1883.     Spetch,  R.  J.,  1,  Mitre  Court,  Wood  street,  E.C. 
Nov.  22,  1872.     Spencer,  Thomas,  F.C.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  32,  Euston 

square,  N.W. 
Mar.  24,  1866.     Starling,  Benjamin,  9,  Gray's  inn  square,  W.C. 
Feb.  21,  1884.     Steele,    F.,  M.R.C.S.,   22,    Bloomsbury    street, 

W.C. 
Aug.  24,  1866.     Steward,  J.  H.,  F.R.M.S.,  406,  Strand,  W.C. 
June  22,1877.     Stewart    Charles,    M.R.C.S.,    F.L.S.     (Sec. 

B.M.S.),   &c.  (Vice-President),  42,  Sinclair 

road,  Kensington,  W. 
May    23,  1879.     Stocken,  James,  21,  Endsleigh  gardens,  N.W. 


xxu 

Date  of  Election. 


June  24,  1881.     Stokes,  A.  W.,  F.C.S.,  Laboratory,  Vestry  ball, 

Paddington,  W. 
July  25,  1879.     Stone,  E.  M.,   Cumnor,  Lawrie  park,  Sydenbam, 

S.E. 
May   23,  1879.     Stubbins,   Jolm,   F.G.S.,   F.R.M.S.,  Inglebank, 

Far  Headingley,  Leeds. 
Sept.  23,  1881.     Sturt,  Gerald,  27,  Gordon  square,  W.C. 
July      7,  1865.     Suffolk,    W.    T.,   F.R.M.S.,    Stettin  lodge,   St. 

Faitb's  road,  Lower  Norwood,  S.E. 
June  27,  1873.     Suter,    E.    D.,    Parkfield,    St.    Andrew's   park, 

Hastings. 
June  24,  1870.     Swain,  Ernest,    17,   Tadmor   street,  Shepherd's 

Rush,  W. 
Nov.  22,  1867.     Swainston,  J.  T.,  3,  St.  Mark's  square,  Regent's 

park,  N.W. 
Nov.   24,  1866.     Swansborough,    E.,    20,    John    street,    Bedford 

row,  W.C. 
Dec.   17,  1875.     Swift,  M.  J.,  81,  Tottenham  court  road,  W.C. 
Jan.    23,  1880.     Symons,  W.  H.,  F.C.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  2,  Queen's 

terrace,  St.  John's  wood,  N.W. 

July   27,  1877.     Tanqueray,  A.   C,   Reid's  Brewery,  Theobald's 

road,  E.C. 

Nov.  28,  1879.  Tasker,  J.  G.,  18,  Junction  road,  Upper  Hollo- 
way,  N. 

Aug.  22,  1879.     Tate,    J.   W.,    6,    Clarendon  terrace,   Brentford 

road,  Turnham  green,  W. 

May  22,  1868.     Tatem,  J.  G.,  Russell  street,  Reading. 

Feb.  25,  1881.     Taylor,    Thomas,    M.R.C.S.,   L.A.C.,    Bocking, 

near  Braintree,  Essex. 

Aug.  23,  1878.     Teasdale,     Washington,    F.R.M.S.,    Rosehurst, 

Headingley,  Leeds. 

Dec.  22,  1865.     Terry,  John,  4,  Coventry  park,  Streatham,  S.W. 

Aug.  23,  1872.     Terry,  Thomas,  5,  Austin  friars,  E.C. 

May  23,  1879.     Thompson,  I.  C,  F.R.M.S.,  Woodstock,  Waver- 

ley  road,  Liverpool. 

May  28,  1875.  Thomson,  J.  R.,  15,  Highbury  place,  Isling- 
ton, N. 

Feb.    24,1871.     Thornthwaite,  W.  H.,  416,  Strand,  W.C. 

Oct.    27,  1882.     Thurston,  Edgar,  L.R.C.P.,  L.S.A.,  A.K.C.,  53, 

Henry  street,  Regent's  park,  N.W. 


XX111 
Date  of  Election. 


May  23,  1884.  Tipple,  A.  C,  Alexander  road,  Upper  Hollo- 
way,  N. 

June  23,  1871.     Topping,  Amos,  28,  Charlotte  street,  Caledonian 

road,  N. 

Jane  23,  1882.     Trinder,  Stephen,  90,  Morton  road,  Islington,  N. 

June  27,  1884.     Tress,  S.  C,  West  lodge,  Clapham  park,  S.W. 

July    24,  1868.     Talk,  John  A.,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S.,  Cowley  house, 

Chertsey. 

July  26,  1867.  Turnbull,  J.,  Laurel  house,  North  hill,  High- 
gate,  N. 

Aug.  24,  1877.     Turner,  E.  B.,  1,  Clifton  villas,  Amberley  road, 

Lea  bridge  road,  N.E. 

June  25,  1869.     Turner,  R.  D.,  Roughway,  near  Tonbridge. 

June  25,  1875.     Turner,  Sydney,  A.R.I.B.A. 

Feb.    25,  1881.     Tyler,  Charles,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  317, 

Holloway  road,  N. 

May  25,  1877.     Veasey,  R.  G.,  Ashchurch  lodge,  Ashchurch  road, 

Shepherd's  bush,  W. 

Feb.   28,  1879.     Venables,  W.,  95,  Elgin  road,   St.  Peter's  park, 

Harrow  road,  W. 

Feb.  27,  1880.     Vereker,     The     Hon.     J.    G.   P.,    1,    Portman 

square,  W. 

May  23,  1879.     Vezey,  J.  J.,  F.R.M.S.,    12,  Sandbourne  road, 

Brockley  rise,  S.E. 

Mar.  24,  1882.     Vicars,  John,  7,  Hartington  road,  Liverpool. 

June  25,  1880.     Waddington,  H.  J.,  39,  Gower  street,  W.C. 
Feb.  27,  1874.     Walker,   J.   C,   Highfield  avenue  road,  Crouch 

end,  N. 
July  25,  1873.     Walker,  J.  S.,  Warwick  road,  Upper  Clapton,  E. 
May  22,  1868.     Waller,    J.    G.,    68,    Bolsover   street,    Portland 

road,  W. 
Nov.  22,  1867.     Ward,  F.  H.,  M.R.C.S.,   F.R.M.S.,    Springfield 

house,  near  Tooting,  S.W. 
Feb.  25,  1881.     Ward,   J.  D.,  Northwood  lodge,  Cowes,  Isle  of 

Wight. 
June  28,  1878.     Ward,  R.  J.,  Silver  street,  Lincoln. 
Oct.  27,   1865.      Watkins,   C.    A.,     Rosemont,    Greenhill   road, 

Hampstead,  N.W. 
Sept.  28,  1877.     Watson,   T.  P.,  F.R.M.S.,  313,  High  Holborn, 

W.C. 


XXIV 

Date  of  Election. 

May  23,  1879.     Watts,  The  Rev.  G.  E.,  M.A.,  F.R.M.S.,  Kens- 
worth  vicarage,  Dunstable,  Herts. 
Dec.  28,  1866.     Way,  T.  E.,  Argyll  road,  Ealing,  W. 
Oct.  26,  1877.     Weatherley,  Capt.  H.  C.  S.,  64,  Cheapside,  E.C. 
July  24,  1874.     Webb,    C.    E.,    Wildwood    lodge,    North    end, 

Hampstead,  N.W. 
April  25,  1879.     Webster,  H.  W.,  M.D.,   St.  George's  Infirmary, 

Fulham  road,  S.W. 
May  24,  1867.     Weeks,   A.    W.    G.,    36,    Gunter  grove,    West 

Brompton,  S.W. 
July  25,  1884.      Wellington,   R.    H.,    38,   Fellow's  road,   South 

Hampstead,  N.W. 
May  23,  1884.     West,  C,  9,  Park  row,  Blackheath  park. 
May  26,  1882.     Western,   George    E.,  27,  Strawberry  hill  road, 

Twickenham. 
Feb.  25,  1876.     Wheeler,   George,  9,  Cloudesley  square,  Barns- 
bury,  N. 
May  23,  1879.     Wheldon,    John,    F.R.M.S.,   58,    Great    Queen 

street,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  W.C. 
Sept.  23,  1881.     Whelpton,  E.  S.,  B.A.,  Cantab.,  Boyland  Oak, 

Streatham  hill,  S.W. 
May  22,  1868.     White,   T.  Charters,  M.R.C.S.,  L.D.S.,  F.L.S., 

F.R.M.S.   (Past   President),   32,    Belgrave 

road,  S.W. 
Aug.  22,  1879.     Whittell,   H.   T.,    M.D.,    F.R.M.S.,  Board   of 

Health,  Adelaide,  South  Australia. 
June  25,  1880.     Wickes,     W.     D.,     32,     Burlington    gardens, 

Acton,  W. 
Mar.  25,  1881.     Wildy,   Arthur,  48,  Albion  road,  South  Hamp- 
stead, N.W. 
A.pril  23, 1880.     Williams,  Arthur,  48,  Osnaburg  street,  Regent's 

park,  N.W. 
July  28,  1882.     Williams,  Benjamin,  3,  Comberton  road,  Upper 

Clapton,  E. 
Mar.  24,  1871.     Williams,  George,  F.R.M.S.,  135,  Coningham 

road,  Shepherd's  bush,  W. 
Nov.  23,  1877.     Williams,  G.  S.,  20,  Oxford  road,  Kilburn,  N.W. 
June  27,  1879.     Willson,  James,  2,    Oval  road,  Regent's  park, 

N.W. 
Feb.  22,   1867.     Wilson,  Frank,  110,  Long  acre,  W.C. 


X 


XXV 

Date  of  Election. 

April  23,  1880.     Winney,  H.  J.,  1,  Shorters  court,  Throgmorton 

street,  E.C. 
Aug.  27,  1869.     Woods,  W.  Fell,  1,  Park  hill,  Forest  hill,  S.E. 
Jan.  28,  1876.     Woollett,  John,  58,  Cloudesley  road,  Islington,  N. 
Oct.  25,  1867.     Worthington,  Richard,  Champion  park,  Denmark 

hill,  S.E. 
June  27,  1873.     Wrey,  G.  E.   B.,  Addington  house,  Addington 

road,  Reading. 
Aug.  22,  1879.     Wright,   B.    M.,    54,    Guilford    street,    Russell 

square,  W.C. 

May  25,  1877.     Yates,  Francis,  Rockwood,  Surbiton  hill. 
Jan.  25,  1878.     Yates,  Robert,  64,  Park  street,  South  wark,  S.E. 
June,  22, 1883.    Young,  William  Martin,  16,  Maclise  road,  West 

Kensington  park,  W. 


NOTICE. 

Members  are  requested  to  give  early  information  to  one  of  the  Hon. 
Secretaries  of  any  change  of  residence,  so  as  to  prevent  miscarriage  of 
Journals  and  Circulars. 


XXVI 


RULES. 


I. — That  the  Quekett  Microscopical  Club  hold  its  meetings  at 
University  College,  Gower  Street,  on  the  fourth  Friday  Evening 
in  every  month,  at  Eight  o'clock  precisely,  or  at  such  other  time  or 
place  as  the  Committee  may  appoint. 

II. — That  the  business  of  the  Club  be  conducted  by  a  Com- 
mittee, consisting  of  a  President,  four  Vice-Presidents,  an  Honorary 
Treasurer,  one  or  more  Honorary  Secretaries,  an  Honorary 
Secretary  for  Foreign  Correspondence,  an  Honorary  Reporter,  an 
Honorary  Librarian,  an  Honorary  Curator,  and  twelve  other 
Members, — six  to  form  a  quorum.  That  the  Presidents,  Vice- 
Presidents,  Treasurer,  Secretaries,  Reporter,  Librarian,  Curator, 
and  the  four  senior  Members  of  the  Committee  (by  election)  retire 
annually,  but  be  eligible  for  re-election.  That  the  Committee  may 
appoint  a  stipendiary  Assistant- Secretary,  who  shall  be  subject  to 
its  direction. 

III. — That  at  the  ordinary  Meeting  in  June  nominations  be 
made  of  Candidates  to  fill  the  offices  of  President,  Vice-Presidents, 
Treasurer,  Secretaries,  Reporter,  Librarian,  Curator,  and  vacancies 
on  the  Committee.  That  the  President,  Vice-Presidents, 
Treasurer,  Secretaries,  Reporter,  Librarian,  and  Curator  be 
nominated  by  the  Committee.  That  the  nominations  for  Members 
of  Committee  be  made  by  the  Members  on  resolutions  duly 
moved  and  seconded,  no  Member  being  entitled  to  propose  more 
than  one  Candidate.  That  a  list  of  all  nominations  made  as 
above  be  printed  upon  the  ballot  paper  ;  the  nominations  for 
vacancies  upon  the  Committee  being  arranged  in  such  order  as 
shall  be  determined  by  lot,  as  drawn  by  the  President  and  Secre- 
tary. That  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting  in  July  all  the  above 
Officers  be  elected  by  ballot  from  the  Candidates  named  in  the  lists, 
but  any  Member  is  at  liberty  to  substitute  on  his  ballot-paper  any 
other  name  or  names  in  lieu  of  those  nominated  for  the  offices 
of  President,  Vice-Presidents,  Treasurer.  Secretaries,  Reporter, 
Librarian,  and   Curator. 


XXV11 


IV. — That  in  the  absence  of  the  President  and  Vice-Presidents 
the  Members  present  at  any  ordinary  Meeting  of  the  Club  elect  a 
Chairman  for  that  evening. 

V. — That  every  Candidate  for  Membership  be  proposed  by  two 
or  more  Members,  who  shall  sign  a  certificate  (see  Appendix)  in 
recommendation  of  him — one  of  the  proposers  from  personal 
knowledge.  The  certificate  shall  be  read  from  the  chair,  and  the 
Candidate  therein  recommended  balloted  for  at  the  following 
Meeting.     Three  black  balls  to  exclude. 

VI. — That  the  Club  include  not  more  than  twenty  Honorary 
Members,  elected  by  the  Members  by  ballot  upon  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Committee. 

VII. — That  the  Annual  Subscription  be  Ten  Shillings,  payable 
in  advance  on  the  1st  of  July,  but  that  any  Member  elected  in 
May  or  June  be  exempt  from  subscription  until  the  following  July. 
That  any  Member  desirous  of  compounding  for  his  future  sub- 
scription may  do  so  at  any  time  by  payment  of  the  sum  of  Ten 
Pounds  ;  all  such  sums  to  be  duly  invested  in  such  manner  as 
the  Committee  shall  think  fit.  That  no  person  be  entitled  to  the 
full  privileges  of  the  Club  until  his  subscription  shall  have  been 
paid  ;  and  that  any  Member  omitting  to  pay  his  subscription  six 
months  after  the  same  shall  have  become  due  (two  applications  in 
writing  having  been  made  by  the  Treasurer)  shall  cease  to  be  a 
Member  of  the  Club. 

VIII. — That  the  accounts  of  the  Club  be  audited  by  two  Mem- 
bers, to  be  appointed  at  the  ordinary  Meeting  in  June. 

IX. — That  the  Annual  General  Meeting  be  held  on  the  fourth 
Friday  in  July,  at  which  the  Report  of  the  Committee  on  the 
affairs  of  the  Club,  and  the  Balance  Sheet,  duly  signed  by  the 
Auditors,  shall  be  read.  Printed  lists  of  Members  nominated 
for  election  as  President,  Vice-Presidents,  Treasurer,  Secretaries, 
Reporter,  Librarian,  Curator,  and  Members  of  the  Committee 
having  been  distributed,  and  the  Chairman  having  appointed  two 
or  more  Members  to  act  as  Scrutineers,  the  Meeting  shall  then 
proceed  to  ballot.  If  from  any  cause  these  elections,  or  any  of 
them,  do  not  take  place  at  this  Meeting,  they  shall  be  made  at  the 
next  ordinary  Meeting  of  the  Club. 


xxviii 


X. — That  at  the  ordinary  Meetings  the  following  business  be 
transacted  : — The  minutes  of  the  last  Meeting  shall  be  read  and 
confirmed  ;  donations  to  the  Club  since  the  last  Meeting  announced 
and  exhibited  ;  ballots  for  new  Members  taken  ;  papers  read  and 
discussed  ;  and  certificates  for  new  Members  read  ;  after  which 
the  Meeting  shall  resolve  itself  into  a  Conversazione. 


*» 


XL — That  any  Member  may  introduce  a  Visitor  at  any  ordinary 
Meeting,  who  shall  enter  his  name  with  that  of  the  Member  by 
whom  he  is  introduced  in  a  book  to  be  kept  for  the  purpose. 

XII. — That  no  alteration  be  made  in  these  Rules,  except  at  an 
Annual  General  Meeting,  or  a  Special  General  Meeting  called  for 
that  purpose  ;  and  that  notice  in  writing  of  any  proposed  alteration 
be  given  to  the  Committee,  and  read  at  the  ordinary  Meeting  at 
least  a  month  previous  to  the  Annual  or  Special  Meeting  at  which 
the  subject  of  such  alteration  is  to  be  considered. 


APPENDIX. 


Form  of  Proposal  for  Membership. 


Quekett  Microscopical  Club. 

Mr. 

of 

being  desirous   of  becoming   a  Member  of  this  Club,  we  beg  to 

recommend  him  for  election. 

(On  my  personal  knowledge.) 

This  Certificate  was  read  18 

The  Ballot  will  take  place  18 


XXIX 


MEETINGS. 


OF  THE 


QUEKETT   MICROSCOPICAL    CLUB,    1884-5. 


AT 


UNIVERSITY  COLLEGE,  GOWER  STREET, 


ON  THE 


Second  and  Fourth  Fridays  of  every  Month. 


1884. — Friday,  August 

September 

October 

November 

December 
1885. — Friday,  January 

February 

March 

April 

May 

June 

July 

The    Ordinary    Meetings   are  held  on  t 
each  month.     Proceedings  begin  at  Eight  o'c 


..       8  ... 

22 

..     12  ... 

26 

..     10  ... 

24 

..     14  ... 

28 

..     12  ... 

26 

•  •               %J     •  •  • 

23 

..     13  ... 

27 

..     13  ... 

27 

..     10  ... 

24 

o    .  .  . 

22 

..     12  ... 

26 

..     10  ... 

24 

ie  fourth 

Friday  in 

ock  p.m. 

The   Meetings   on  the  second  Friday  in  each   month  are  for 
Conversation  and  Exhibition  of  Objects,  from  7  to  9.30  p.m. 


The  Annual  General  Meeting  will  be  held  on   July  24th, 
1885,  at  Eight  o'clock,  for  Election  of  Officers  and  other  business. 


XXX 


EXCURSIONS,    1884. 


April       5.     BROMLEY,  for   KESTON.     To  meet  at  Holborn 

Viaduct  Station. 

April     19.     ROYAL    BOTANIC    GARDENS.     To  meet   at 

Entrance,  on  South  side  of  the  Gardens,  not  later 
than  3  p.m. 

May  3.     CHINGFORD,  for  EPPING  FOREST.    To  meet 

at  Liverpool  Street  Station. 

May  17.  WOODSIDE  PARK,  for  TOTTERIDGE,  return- 
ing by  Mill  Hill.  To  meet  at  Moorgate  Street 
Station. 

June        7.     WOKING.     To    meet    at   Waterloo,    Main   Line 

Station. 

June       21.     EXCURSIONISTS'  ANNUAL  DINNER. 

Arrangements  will  be  duly  announced. 

June        28.     HAMPTON    COURT.      To    meet    at    Waterloo, 

Suburban    Station. 

July  5.     DAY  EXCURSION,  WHITSTABLE.     To  meet 

at  Holborn  Viaduct  Station,  10  a.m.,  or  next  later 
Train.  {Notice  should  be  given  to  the  Secretary  of 
the  Excursions  Sub-Committee,  to  obtain  reduction 
of  fares.) 

July        19.     CATERHAM,  for  Godstone.     To  meet  at  Cannon 

Street  Station. 

Aug.        23.     SHEPPERTON,   for   WALTON.      To   meet  at 

Waterloo,  Loop  Line  Station. 

Sept.        6.     ESHER.     To  meet  at  Waterloo,  Suburban  Station. 

Sept.       20.     HALE  END.  To  meet  at  Liverpool  Street  Station. 

Oct.  4.     RICHMOND.     To  meet  at  Waterloo,  Loop  Line 

Station. 

Oct.         18.     HOMERTON,  for  HACKNEY  MARSHES.    To 

meet  at  Homerton  Station. 

The  time  for  departure  from  Town,  unless  otherwise   specified, 
will  be  the  First  Train  after  TWO  o'clock. 

John  Badcock,  C.  G.  Dunning,  "\       ^ 

w   n    n      '  tt^u  (       Excursions 

W.  G.  Cocks,  J.  D.  Hardy,  >  0  ,    ~ 

_  (  Sub- Committee. 

Edw.  Dadswell,  J.  1.  Powell,  ) 

Fred.  A.  Parsons,  Hon.  Sec.  Excursions  Sub-Committee, 

90,  Leadenhall  Street,  E.C. 


OFFICERS  AND  COMMITTEE. 
(Elected  July,  1885.) 


IQmtimxU 

A.  D.  Michael,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S. 

W.  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  &c. 
M.  C.  Cooke,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  A.L.S. 
J.  Matthews,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S. 
C.  Stewart,  M.R.C.S.,   F.L.S. 

E.  Dadswell.  J.  G.  Waller. 

Rev.  H.  J.  Fase.  E.  T.  Newton,  F.G.S. 

H.  R.  Gregoey.  J.  W.  Groves,  F.R.M.S. 

H.  J.  W aldington.  P.  W.  Hembry,  F.R.M.S. 
T.  C.  White,  M.R.C.S.,  L.D.S. 
B.  W.  Priest. 


E.  M.  Xelson. 

W.  W.  Reeves,  F.R.M.S. 


F.  W.  Gay,  F.R.M.S.,  113,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
G.  C.  Karop,  M.R.C.S.,  198,  Holland  Road,  Kensington,  W. 

°§oxx>  $tc.  fox  $0mp  €axxMxjo\xQttxtt  rartr  (Bhitox  of  ^mmtaJ, 

Henry  F.  Hailes,  15,  West  field  Road,  Ilornsey,  N. 

°§qxx.  'gtgoxhx. 

R.  T.  Lewis,  F.R.M.S. 

°§8xx,  Qxbxmixxx.  %m.  (&xxx'riox* 

Alpheus  Smith,  Charles  Emery, 

39,  Choumert  Road,  Rye  Lane,  9,  New  Road,  Crouch  End,  N. 

Peckham,  S.E.  | 


11 


PAST     PRESIDENTS. 


Elected. 

EDWIN  LANKESTER,  M.D.,  F.R.S.         -     -     July,  18G5. 

ERNEST  HART         ---.--„  1866. 

ARTHUR  E.   DURHAM,  F.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,  &c.       „  18G7. 

5)                               5>                                  JJ                               >>                                 })  lOOO. 

PETER  LE  NEVE  FOSTER,  M.A.            -     -       „  1869. 

LIONEL  S.  BEALE,  M.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c.     -    -       „  1870. 

187 1 

ROBERT  BRAITHWAITE,  M.D.,  F.L.S.,  &c.       „  1872. 

1 070 

JOHN  MATTHEWS,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S.         -    -       „  1874. 

HENRY  LEE,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  F.Z.S.       „  1876. 

55                                   ?»                                      V                                  V                                     11  *°*  *  • 

THOS.  H.  HUXLEY,  LL.D.,  F.R.S.,  &c.     -    -       „  1878. 

T.  SPENCER  COBBOLD,  M.D.,  F.R.S.,  F.L.S.,  &c.  1879. 

T.  CHARTERS  WHITE,  M.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,  &c.       „  1880. 

55                                   55                                      V                                  J5                                      >)  lOOli 

M.  C.  COOKE,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  A.L.S.        „     -     -      „  1882. 

5j                jj                  5)                 »    "     "      m  1883. 

W.  B.  CARPENTER,  C.B.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  &c.      -       „  1884. 


Ill 


HONORARY     MEMBERS, 


Date  of  Election. 

Jan.  24,  1868.     Arthur  Mead  Edwards,  M.D.,   120,   Belleville 

avenue,  Newark,  New  Jersey,  U.S.A. 

Mar.  19,  1869.     The  Rev.  E.  C.  Bolles,  Salem,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 

July  26,  1872.     S.  0.  Lindberg,M.D.,  Professor  of  Botany,  Uni- 
versity of  Helsingfors,  Finland. 

July  26,  1872.     Prof.   Hamilton    L.   Smith,  President  of  Hobart 

College,  Geneva,  New  York,  U.S.A. 

July  23,  1875.     Lionel  S.   Beale,   M.B.,  F.R.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  &c. 

(Past  President),  61,  Grosvenor  street,  W. 

Sept.  22,  1876.     Frederick  Kitton,  Hon.  F.R.M.S.,  &c,  3,  Bed- 
ford street,  Unthanks  road,  Norwich. 

July  25,  1879.     W..  B.  Carpenter,  C.B.,  M.D.,  F.R.S.,  &c,  &c, 

(Past   President),   56,  Regent's   park  road, 

N.W. 

July  25,  1879.     Dr.  E.  Abbe,  University,  Jena,  Saxe  Weimar, 

Germany. 

July  23,  1880.     F.  H.  Wenham,  C.E.,  3,  Gothic  Villas,  Warbeck 

road,  Shepherd's  Bush,  W. 

Nov.  24,  1882.     Dr.  Veit   B.   Wittrock,  Professor  at  the   Royal 

Academy  of  Sciences,  and  Director  of  the 
Museum  of  Natural  History,  Stockholm, 
Sweden. 


IV 


LIST     OF     MEMBERS. 


Date  of  Election. 

Sept.  24,  18G9.     Ackland,     William,     L.S.A.,    F.R.M.S.,    416, 

Strand,  W.C. 

Oct.    26,  1883.     Addiscott,  C.  J.,  Sydney  Villa,  St.  Bildas  road, 

Manor  park,  Stoke  Newington,  N. 

Nov.  27,  1868.     Adkins,  William,  431,  Oxford  street,  W. 

Mar.  23,  1866.     Allbon,  William,  F.R.M.S.,  37,  Gloucester  place, 

Portman  square,  W. 

Oct.   24,  1884.     Allen,  W.  A.,  156,  Choumert  road,  Rye  lane, 

Peckham,  S.E. 

July  26,  1872.     Alstone,  John,  3,  Great  Tower  street,  E.C. 

Dec.   17,  1869.     Ames,  G.  A.,  F.R.M.S.,  Union  Club,  Trafalgar 

square,  W.O. 

Dec.  22,  1865.  Andrew,  F.  W.,  3,  Neville  terrace,  Onslow  gar- 
dens, S.W. 

May  28,  1875.  Arrowsmith,  Wastell,  99,  Adelaide  road,  Haver- 
stock  hill,  N.W. 

June  22,  1883.     Ash,  George  C,  141,  Maida  vale,  W. 

July  25,  1879.     Ashbridge,  Arthur,  76,  Leadenhall  street,  E.C. 

Sept.  27,  1878.     Ashby,  H.    T.,   8,  Bartholomew    road,    Kentish 

town,  N.W. 

June  26,  1874.     Badcock,  John,   F.R.M.S.,    270,    Victoria   park 

road,  South  Hackney,  E. 
Dec.  28,  1883.     Bailey,  Rev,  G.,  1,  South  vale,  Upper  Norwood, 

S.E. 
Dec.  27,  1867.     Bailey,  J.  W.,  75,  Broke  road,  Dalston,  E. 
April  24,  1868.     Baker,  Charles,  F.R.M.S.,  244,  High   Holborn, 

W.C. 
Feb.  25,  1876.     Ballard,  Dr.  W.  R.,  jun.,  26,  Manchester  square, 

W. 


V 
Date  of  Election. 


x 


June  22,  1883.     Balleine,    Arthur   Edwin,    5,    Heathcote    street, 

Mecklenburg  square,  "W.C. 
Jan.  24,  1879.     Barham,  G.  T.,  Danehurst,  Hampstead,  N.W. 
Dec.  27,  1872.     Barnard,  Herbert,  33,  Portland  place,  W. 
April  22,  1870.     Barnes,  C.  B.,  4,  Egremont  villas,  White  horse 

lane,  South  Norwood,  S.E.,  and  27,  Clement's 

lane,  E.C. 
July   27,  1883.     Barnes,     Henry,    Patschull    house,    Dartmouth 

Park  avenue,  N. 
May  25,  1883.     Barratt,  Thomas,  Bell  Moor  House,  Upper  Heath, 

Hampstead,  N.W. 
Sept.  27,  1872.     Bartlett,  Edward,  L.D.S.,  M.R.O.S.E.,  38,  Con- 
naught  square,  W. 
Dec.  28,  1877.     Batchelor,  J.  A.,  Avenue 'road,  Bexley,  Kent. 
June  27,  1883.     Bates,  E.,  Assoc.I.C.E.,   45,   Fentiman's    road, 

Clapham  road,  S.E. 
Nov.  28,  1884.     Bates,  F.,  22,  West  street,  Leicester. 
Nov.  26,  1875.     Beaulah,  John,  Raventhorpe,  Brigg. 
July   25,  1884.     Beck,  C,  31,  Cornhill,  E.C. 
May   26,  1871.     Bedwell,  F.  A.,  M.A.Cantab,  F.R.M.S.,   West 

parade,  Hull,  Yorkshire. 
Mar.  28,    1884.     Beetham,  A.,  14,  South  square,  Gray's  Inn,  W.C. 
May  22,    1868.     Berney,    John,     F.R.M.S.,     61,     North     end, 

Croydon. 
Oct.  23,    1868.     Bevington,   W.    A.,    F.R.M.S ,    "  Avondale," 

Coloraine  road,  Blackheath,  S.E. 
Mar.  28,    1879.     Bird,  F.  E.,  33,  St.  Saviour's  road,  Brixton  hill, 

S.W. 
July  28,    1871.     Bishop,  William,  549,  Caledonian  road,  N. 
Feb.  23,    1866.     Blake,  T.,  58,  Brook  green,  Hammersmith,  W. 
July  27,     1877.     Blenkinsop,  B.  Shord  hill,  Kenley,  Surrey. 
May   26,    1876.     Blundell,  J.,  38,  Mount  street,  W. 
Dec.  27,    1881.     Bolton,  J.  G.  E.,  M.R.C.S.,  Savanne,  Mauritius. 
Jan.    22,   1875.     Bolton,  Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  57,  Newhall  street, 

Birmingham. 
Nov.  23,    1883.     Bostock,  E.,  "  The  Radfords,"  Stone,  Stafford- 
shire . 
Feb.   24,    1882.     Bound,  H.  J.,  19,  Torrington  square,  W.C. 
Jan.    23,    1885.     Bousfield,    E.    C,    L.R.C.P.Lond.,  M.R.C.S., 

363,  Old  Kent  road,  S.E. 


VI 

Date  of  Election. 

Oct.    27,    1865.     Braithwaite,  Robert,  M.D.,M.R.C.S.E.,  F.L.S., 

F.B.M.S.  (Past  President),  The  Ferns,  303, 

Clapham  road,  8.W. 
June  28,    1878.     Brewster,  W.,  25,  Myddelton  square,  E.C. 
May    26,    1876.     Brigstock,  J.    W.,  "  Ferntower,"  Manor  road, 

Stoke  Newington,  N. 
Oct.    27,    1883.     Brown,  Fredk.  Win.,  35,   Walterton  road,  St. 

Peter's  park,  Harrow  road,  W. 
Sept.  26,    1879.     Brown,  William,  B.Sc,  3,  Elm  cottages,  Middle 

lane,  Crouch  end,  N. 
May    22,    1868.     Brown,  W.   J.,   4,   Heath  villas,  Maple  road, 

Anerley,  S.E. 
May    26,    1871.     Browne,  George,  45,  Victoria  road,  Kentish  town, 

N.W. 
May    28,    1875.     Browne,  J.  W.,  Frascati,  Masons  hill,  Bromley, 

Kent. 
Feb.    27,    1872.     Browne,  Rev.  T.  H.,  F.R.M.S.,  F.G.S.,  M.E.S., 

High  Wycombe,  Bucks. 
Jan.    23,    1880.     Browne,  W.  R.,  317,  Essex  road,  Islington,  N. 
May    22,    1885.     Buckland,  H.;  Ivy  Holt,  Station  road,  Sidcup, 

Kent. 
Dec.    22,    1882.     Bucknall,  Edward,  16,  Junction  road,  Highgate, 

N. 
Jan.    26,    1877.     Buffham,  T.  H.,  2,  Connaught  road,  Waltham- 

stow. 
June  22,    1883.     Burbidge,    William    Henry,    Stanley    House, 

Alleyn  park,  Dulwich,  S.E. 
June  27,    1884.     Burrows,  W.  J.,  16,  Endymion  road,  Brixton 

hill,  S.W. 
Aug.    22,    1879.     Burton,  William,  27,  Wigmore  street,  W. 
June  14,    1865.     Bywater,  W.M.,  F.R.M.S.,5,Hanover  square,W. 

Nov.    22,    1878.     Cafe,  J.  W.,  46,  Clifton  hill,  St.  John's  wood, 

N.W. 
June    25,    1880,     Cambridge,  John,  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  Suffolk. 
May    23,    1879.     Carpenter,  H.  S.,  F.K. M.S.,  Beckington  house, 

Weighton  road,  Anerley,  S.E. 
July    23,     1880.     Carr,   Ebenezer,   26,    Bromar  road,   Denmark 

park,  S.E. 
Nov.    24,    1882.     Carr,  Thomas,  M.R.C.S.,  Guy's  Hospital,  S.E. 


Vll 
Date  of  Election. 


May    26,    1882.     Chapman,   W.    Ingram,    5,   Hollywood  villas, 

Melrose  road,  Southfields,  S.W. 

Dec.    27,    1878.     Chatto,  Andrew,  214,  Piccadilly,  W. 

Nov.    27,    1874.     Cbippindale,    George,  Grape  villa,  Rothschild 

road,  Chiswick  High  road,  W. 

Dec.    27,    1881.     Claremont,    Claude    Clarke,    M.R.C.S.,  Mill- 

brooke  house,  Hampstead  road,  N.W. 

Feb.    23,     1883.     Clark,  Joseph,  Street,  Somerset. 

May    22,    1885.     Clinch,  J.  W.,  Lake  Brewery,  Douglas,  Isle  of 

Man. 

July    25,    1879.     Cobbold,T.  S.,  M.D.,F.R.S.,  F.L.S.,  (Past Pre- 
sident), 74,  Portsdown  road,  Maida  vale,  W". 

May    22,    1868.     Cocks,  W.  G.,  36,  Gayburst  road,  Dalston,  E. 

Nov.    25,    1881.     Coffin,  Walter   H.,  F.L.S.,  F.C.S.,   F.R.M.S., 

&c,  94,  Cornwall  gardens,  South  Kensing- 
ton, S.W. 

Sept.  22,    1876.     Cole,   A.  C,   F.R.M.S.,   St.  Domingo  house, 

Oxford  gardens,  Notting  hill,  W. 

Nov.    23,    1883.     Cole,  M.,  St.  Domingo  house,  Oxford  gardens, 

Notting  hill,  W. 

April  24,    1874.     Cole,  William,   M.E.S.,  Hon.  Secretary  Essex 

Naturalists'     Field    Club,    Laurel    cottage, 
King's  place,  Buckburst  hill,  Essex. 

Jan,    25,     1867.     Coles,    Ferdinand,    F.L.S.,    53,    Brooke  road, 

Stoke  Newington  common,  N. 

Mar.    24,    1876.     Colsell,  G.    D.,  1,  Dermody  road,  East  Down, 

Lewisham,  S.E. 

June    14,     1865.     Cooke,  M.C.,  M.A.,  LL.D.,  A.L.S.  (Past  Pre- 
sident),146, J unction  road, Upper  Holloway,N. 

Feb.    22,    1867.     Cooper,  F.  W.,  L.R.C.S.Edin.,  Leytonstone,  E, 

June    27,    1873.     Corbett,  A.  L.,  103,  Fentiman's  road,  Clapbam 

road,  S.W. 

May    28,    1869.     Cottam,     Arthur,    F.R.A.S.,     H.M.Office    of 

Woods,  Whitehall  place,  S.W. 

July    26,    1872.     Cowan,  T.  W.,  F.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,   Comptons 

Lea,  Horsham,  Sussex. 

Nov.    28,    1884.     Crisp,  C,  81,  Fifth  avenue,  Kensal  green,  W. 

Aug.  28,    1868.     Crisp,  Frank,  LL.B.,  B. A.,  V.P.  and  Treas.Lin- 

nean  Society  ;  Hon.  Sec.  Royal  Microscopical 
Society,  5,  Lansdowne  road,  Notting  hill,  W. 


Yin 

Date  of  Election. 

Dec.  23,  1870.     Crisp,  J.    S.,   F.R.M.S.,  Ashville,  Lewin  road, 

Streathana,  S.W. 
July   26,  1878.     Crockford,  Wm,  2,  St.  Peter's  road,  Mile  end,  E. 
Feb.  23,  1877.     Crofton,  Edward,  M.A.  Oxon.,    F.R.M.S.,   45, 

West   Cromwell    road,    South    Kensington, 

s.w. 

Sept.  28, 1866.     Crouch,  Henry,  F.R.M.S.,  66,  Barbican,  E.C. 
Sept.  26, 188-4.     Crowhurst,  H.  A.,  313,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
June  22,  1877.     Cunliffe,  P.G.,  F.R.M.S.,  The  Elms,  Handforth, 

Manchester. 
June  25,  1880.     Curties,  C.  L.,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
May  25,   1866.     Curties,  Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  244,  High  Holborn, 

W.C. 
June  25,  1880.     Curties,  W.  I.,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
Sept.  26,  1879.     Curtis,  Charles,  29,  Baker  street,  Portman  sq.,W. 
Aug.  22,  1879.     Cuttell,  F.  G.,  52,  New  Compton  street,  Soho,  W. 
April  22, 1881.     Cutting,  W.  M.,  1,  Curtain  road,  E.C. 

Jan.  22,  1875.  Dadswell,  Edward,  42,  Barrington  road,  Stock- 
well,  S.W. 

Mar.  24,  1882.     Dale,  Bernard,  14,  Elm  grove,  Lee,  Kent. 

Nov.  23,  1877.     Dallas,    W.    S.,    F.L.S.,    &c,    the    Geological 

Society,  Burlington  house,  Piccadilly,  W. 

Feb.  23,  1883.     Dallinger,    Rev.    W.     H.,    F.R.S.,    F.R.M.S., 

{President  Pi. M.S.),  Wesley  College,  Shef- 
field. 

May  23,  1879.     Dallmeyer,  T.   R.,  19,  Bloomsbury  street,  W.C. 

Mar.  22,  1878.     Darby,   the   Ven.     Archdeacon,    St.    Bridget's 

Rectory,  Chester. 

Mar.  22,  1878.     Darke,  Edward,  16,  Rochester  terrace,  Camden 

road,  N.W. 

Oct.  22,  1869.     Davis,  Henry,  19,  Warwick  street,  Leamington. 

Aug.  23,  1883.     Davis,  H.,  108,  Sandringham  road,  Dalston,  E. 

May  23,  1879.     Dawson,  William,    24,   Abbeygate  street,  Bury 

St.  Edmunds,  Suffolk. 

May  28,  1875.     Dean,  Arthur,  {Hon.  Sec.  East  Lond.  Mic.  Soc), 

57,  Southborough  road,  South  Hackney,  E. 

Feb.  23,  1877.     Death,   James,  jun.,    38,    Gladstone    street,  St. 

George's  road,  Southwark,  S.E. 

Feb.  28,  1879.     Debenham,  E.  H.,  9,  Mincing  lane,  E.C. 


IX 
Date  of  Election. 

Jan.~24~  1879.     Deby,  Julien,  C.E.,  F.R.M.S.,  17,  Boulevard  du 

Regent,  Brussels  (care  of  Mr.  Tlios.  West- 
wood). 

Nov.  24,  1876.     Despointes,    Francis,    16,    St.    George's  square, 

Regent's  pa/k  road,  N.W. 

Nov.  24,  1865.     Dobson,  H.  H.,  F.R.M.S.,  Holmesdale,  Grange 

park,  Ealing,  W. 

Nov.  27,  1868.     Douglas,  Rev.  R.  C,  Manaton  Rectory,  More- 

ton-liampstead,  Exeter. 

Oct.  25,  1878.     Dowler,  Captain  F.  E.,  28,  Albermarle  street,  W. 

Jan.  23,  1880.     Dowsett,  G.   H.,  11,    Gloucester  place,  Green- 
wich, S.E. 

May  25,  1883.     Drake,  C.  A.,  The  Distillery,  Three  Mill  lane, 

Bromley-by-Bow. 

July  25,  1879.     Driver,    Alfred,    30,    Leigham  court  road  west, 

Streatkam,  S.W. 

Aug.  26,  1872.     Dudgeon,  R.E.,  M.D.,  53,  Montagu  square,  W. 

Oct.  25,  1872.     Dunning,  C.  G.,  55,  Camden  park  road,  N.W. 

Sept.  22, 1865.     Durham,  A.   E.,   F.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S., 

&c,    (Past    President),    82,    Brook    street, 
Grosvenor  square,  W. 

July  27,   1883.     Durrand,  Alexander,  5,  Philbrick  terrace,  Nun- 
head  lane,  Peckbam  Rye,  S.E. 

Sept.  25,  1868.     Eddy,    J.  R.,  F.R.M.S.,  F.G.S.,  The  Grange, 

Carleton,  Skipton,  Yorkshire. 
June  28,  1867.     Edmonds,  R.,  Royal  Arsenal,  Woolwich,  S.E. 
July  25,   1884.     Ellis,    J.  H.,    The    Lindens,    Geraldine   road, 

Wandsworth,  S.W. 
May  26,  1876.     Emery,    Charles  (Hon.   Curator),  9,  New  road, 

Crouch  end,  N. 
May  26,  1881.     Enock,  Frederick,  Ferndale,  Bath  road,  Woking 

Station. 
Feb.  28,  1879.     Epps,  Hahnemann,  95,  Upper  Tulse hill,  Brixton, 

S.W. 
Feb.  21,  1884.     Epps,   J.,  jun.,    "  The   Homestead,"  Ross  road, 

South  Norwood  hill,  S.E. 
Dec.  27,  1878.     Erlebach,  H.  A.,  Mill  hill  school,  Mill  hill,  N.W. 

July  25,  1873.     Fase,  Rev.  H.  J.,   8,  Dents  road,  Wandsworth 

common,  S.W. 


X 

Date  of  Election. 


June  25,  1875.     Faulkner,   Henry,  jun.,   Fernwood,  Roehampton 

park,  S.W. 

Jan.  28,  1876.     Faulkner,  John,  20,  Mornington  crescent,  N.W. 

Aug.  25, 1882.     Field,  W.  H.,  5,  Palace  road,  Crouch  end,  N. 

Feb.  27,  1880.     Fieldwick,    Alfred,    jun.,     284,    Dalston    lane, 

Hackney,  E. 

July  22,  1881.     Firth,  W.  A.,  Whiterock,  Belfast. 

July  26,  1867.     Fitch,  Frederick,  F.R.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Iladleigh 

house,  Highbury  New  park,  N. 

Feb.  24,  1882.     Fitch,    J.    N.,    17,    Eversholt   street,    Camden 

Town,  N.W. 

Oct.  26,  1883.     Fleetwood,  G.,  388,  Camden  road,  N. 

Nov.  28,  1879.     Forster,  William,  jun.,  Cleveland  road,  Wood- 
ford, Essex. 

Mar.  24,  1871.     Foulerton,  John,  M.D.,    44,    Pembridge  villas, 

Bayswater,  W. 

Oct.  24,  1884.     Fowler,    C,    Ebenezer   House,    Thirlock   road, 

Gospel  Oak. 

Feb.  27,  1885.     Fowler,  Rev.  W.  W.,  M.A.,  F.L.S.,  The  School 

House,  Lincoln. 

Dec.  28,  1866.     Fox,  C.  J.,  F.R.M.S.,  26,  South  Molton  street, 

Oxford  street,  W. 

Nov.  26,  1875.     Freckelton,  Rev.  T.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  28a,  Lons- 
dale square,  Islington,  N. 

June  23,  1871.     Freeman,    H.    E.,  60,  Plimsoll  road,  Finsbury 

park,  N. 
May  22,  1868.     Fryer,  G.  H.,  107,  Belsize  road,  N.W. 
July  23,  1880.     Funston,  James,  93,  Finsbury  pavement,  E.C. 

June  23,  1882.     Garden,    Alexander,    M.D.,    Brigade    Surgeon, 

Laharempore,  India,  care  of  R.   S.  Garden, 

200,  Piccadilly,  W. 
Mar.  25,  1870.     Garden,  R.  S.,  42,  Carlton  hill,  St,  John's  wood, 

N.W. 
Feb.  26,  1875.     Gardner,  Edmund,  454,  Strand,  W.C. 
Jan.  23,  1885.     Garner,  J.  H.,  75,  Sparkenhoe   street,  Leicester. 
April  23,1880.     Gates,  G.  W.  H.,  21,  Lombard  street,  E.C. 
July    7,  1865.     Gay,  F.  W.,   F.R.M.S.   (Hon.   Treasurer),  113, 

High  Holborn,  W.C. 
June  25,  1880.     George,    C.    F.,    M.R.C.S.,    Kirton-in-Lindsey, 

Lincolnshire. 


XI 

Date  of  Election. 

July  26,~1867.     George,   Edward,    F.R.M.S.,    12,  Derby  villas, 

Forest  hill,  S.E. 
April  27,  1877.     Gilberston,  Henry,  Mangrove  house,  Hertford. 
June  24,  1881.     Gilburt,  Henry,  63,  Rectory  road,  Stoke   New- 

ington,  N. 
Oct.  27,    1876.     Gilburt,  W.  H.,  F.R.M.S.,  48,  Wetherell  road, 

South  Hackney,  E. 
June  27,  1873.     Glasspoole,  H.  G.,  15,  Mall  road,  Hammersmith, 

W. 
Nov.  28,  1879.     Goodinge,  A.  C,  119,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
April  26, 1872.     Goodinge,   J.  W.,   F.R.G.S.,    F.R.M.S.,    119, 

High  Holborn,  W.C. 
Nov.  23,  1877.     Goodwin,    William,    24,    Miranda   road,    Upper 

Holloway,  N. 
July  27,  1883.     Goold,    Ernest    H.,    C.E.,    F.Z.S.,    M.R.I.,   4, 

Dane's  Inn,  Strand,  W.C. 
Mar.  27,  1866.     Gray,  S.  0.,  Bank  of  England,  E.C. 
Feb.    24,  1882.     Greening,  Linnagus,  Birch  house,  Warrington. 
Oct.    23,  1868.     Greenish,   Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  20,  New  street, 

Dorset  square,  N.W. 
Oct.    23,  1868.     Gregory,  H.  R.,  7,  Quality  court,  Chancery  lane. 
April  27,  1883.     Gregory,  William,  98,  Brockley  road,  St.  John's, 

S.E. 
July   24,  1868.     Groves,   J.    W.,    F.R.M.S.,  90,    Holland   road, 

Kensington,  W.,  and  Physiological  Labora- 
tory, King's  College,  W.C. 
July  24,   1868.     Grubbe,  E.  W.,  C.E.,  73,  RedclifTe gardens,  S.W. 
Jan.  27,  1871.     Guimaraens,  A.  de  Souza,  F.R.M.S.,  48,  Heron 

road,  Heme  hill,  S.E. 

Sept.  28,  1877.     Hagger,  John,  Repton  school,  Burton-on-Trent. 

Feb.   25,  1881.     Haigh,    William,    Tempsford   villa,    Uxbridge, 

road,  Ealing,  W. 

June  14,  1865.     Hailes,    H.    F.    {Hon.    Secretary  for    Foreign 

Correspondence  and  Editor},  15,  Westfield 
road,  Hornsey,  N. 

Aug.  26,  1870.     Hailstone,  R.  H.,  91,  Adelaide  road,  N.W. 

Feb.   23,  1867.     Hainworth,  William,  15,  Darenth  road,  Stamford 

hill,  N. 

July  28,  1876.  Halford,  Edward,  18,  Leinster  square,  Bays- 
water,  W. 


Xll 
Date  of  Election. 


Dec.  28,  1866.     Hallett,    R.    J.,    123,    Seymour   street,   Euston 

square,  N.W. 
Feb.   22,  1869.     Hammond,  A.,  F.L.S.,  5,  Swiss  terrace,  Elmers 

end  road,  Beckenliam,  S.E. 
June  25,  1880.     Hancock,  H.   S.  H.,  50,  Springdale  road,  Stoke 

Newington,  N. 
Jan.    24,  1879.     Harding,  Burcham,  128,  Adelaide  road,  N.W. 
Feb.   24,  1882.     Harding,  J.  H.,  4,  Finsbury  square,  E.C. 
July   23,  1880.     Hardingham,   A.  S.,   59,   St.    George's   square, 

S.W. 
July   25,  1879.     Hardingham,  G.  G.,  F.R.M.S.,  33,  St.  George's 

square,  S.W. 
Jan.   23,  1874.     Hardy,    J.   D.,    F.R.M.S.,    73,    Clarence   road, 

Clapton,  E.,  and  4,  Lombard  street,  E.C. 
Sept.  28,  1866.     Harkness,  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  Laboratory,  Somerset 

house,  W.C. 
April  23,  1875.     Harrison,    James,    150,    Akerman   road,  North 

Brixton,  S.W. 
May  23,  1884.     Havers,  J.  C,  Wood  Lea,  Bedford  hill,  Balham, 

S.W. 
Mar.  28,  1879.     Hawkins,  C.  E.,   H.M.   Geological  Survey,  Jer- 

myn  street,  S.W. 
June  28,  1867.     Hawksley,  T.  P.,  97,  Adelaide  road,  N.W. 
June  22,  1883.     Hazlewood,  Jas.  Edmund,  F.R.M.S.,  3,  Lennox 

place,  Brighton. 
Aug.  23,  1872.     Hembry,  F.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  (Hon.  Sec,  S.  Lond. 

Mic.    and    Nat.    Hist.    Soc),    Home    Lea, 

Hatherley  road,  Sidcup,  Kent. 
June  26,  1868.     Henry,  A.  H.,  73,  Redcliffe  gardens,  S.W. 
April  25,  1884.     Higgins,    J.,    London    University,    Burlington 

gardens,  W. 
June  22,  1877.     Hill,  R.  W.,  41,  Lothbury,  E.C. 
Sept.  24,  1869.     Hilton,  T.  D.,  M.D.,  Upper  Deal,  Kent. 
Sept.  28,  1866.     Hind,    F.    H.    P.,    11,   Copthall  court,    Throg- 

morton  street,  E.C. 
May  22,  1874.     Hind,  George,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 
Aug.  26,  1870.     Hirst,    John,    F.R.M.S.,    Ladcastle,    Dobcross, 

Manchester. 
Mar.  27,  1885.     Hodges,   W.,   M.R.C.S.,   L.R.C.P.,  Northfield, 

Kirkburton,  Huddcrsfield,  Yorks. 


xiii 

Date  of  Election. 

Feb.  26,  1875.     Holford,    Christopher,    Bounty    Office,    Dean's 

yard,  Westminster,  S.W. 
Jan.  23,  1880.     Holland,    C.    F.,    184,    Brooke    road,    Upper 

Clapton,  E. 
July  25,  1884.     Holmes,  W.  M.,  63,  Lupus  street,  S.W. 
April  26,  1867.     Hooton,  Charles,  Sunningdale  house,  Bickerton 

road,  Upper  Holloway,  N. 
Nov.  26,  1880.     Hopkins,   Robert,   Skearn   villa,  Walthamstow, 

Essex. 
Oct.   26,  1866.     Horncastle,      Henry,     Cobham,    near    Woking 

station. 
June  25,  1869.     Houghton,  W.,  Hoe  street,  Walthamstow,  E. 
May   22,  1874.     Hovenden,  C.  W,  F.R.M.S.,  95,  City  road,  E.C. 
April  26,  1867.     Hovenden,  Frederick,  F.R.M.S.,  Glenlea,  Thur- 

low  park  road,  Dulwich,  S.E. 
Oct.   27,  1876.     Howard,  D.,  60,  Belsize  park,  N.W. 
Oct.   25,  1878.     Howling,    W.   E.,    Crowley's    Brewery,   "Alton, 

Hants. 
Jan.   23,  1880.     Hunt,  Frederick,  York  lodge,  Stamford  hill,  N. 
Dec.   22,  1876.     Hunter,  J.  J.,  20,  Cranbourne  street,  W.C. 
July   25,  1873.     Hurst,  J.  T.,  1,  Raymond  villas,  Geraldine  road, 

Wandsworth,  S.W. 
June  28,  1878.     Huxley,  Prof.  T.  H.,  F.R.S.,  &c.  {Past President), 

Science  Schools,  South  Kensington,  S.W. 

May  24,  1867.     Ingpen,  J.  E.,  F.R.M.S.,  7,  The  Hill,  Putney. 

S.W. 

Dec.  17,  1875.     Jackson,  C.  L.,  F.L.S.,   F.Z.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Hill 

Fold,  Sharpies,  Bolton. 

July  24,  1868.     Jackson,  F.  R,,  Culver  cottage,  Slindon,  Arundel, 

Sussex. 

June  25,  1880.     Jacques,  Walter,  2,  Fenchurch  buildings,  E.C. 

Aug.  25,  1882.  Jakeman,  Christopher,  72,  South  street,  Green- 
wich. 

Feb.  27,  1885.     Jaqites,  E.  R.,  36,  Old  Gravel  lane,  St.  George's, 

E. 

June  14,  1865.     Jaques,   Edward,   B.A.,  H.M.   Office  of  Woods, 

Whitehall  place,  S.W. 

Feb.  28,  1873.     Jenkins,  J.  W.,  3,  Harcourt  road,  Wallington, 


XIV 
Bate  of  Election. 

Feb.  21,  1884.     Jennings,  A.  V.,  8,  Broadhurst  gardens,  South 

Hampstcad,  N.  W. 
July  24,  1868.     Jennings,  Rev.   Nathaniel,   M.A.,   F.R.A.S.,  8, 

Broadhurst  gardens,  South  Harnpstead,  N.W. 
Feb.  24,  1871.     Johnson,  M.  Hawkins,  F.R.M.S.,   F.G.S.,  379, 

Euston  road,  N.W. 
Mar.  24,  1871.     Johnstone,  James,  Stanhope  lodge,  Bideford. 
Feb.  28,  1873.     Jones,  G.  J.,  Duke  street,  Settle,  Yorks. 
June  25, 1875.     Jones,  J.  B.,   F.R.M.S.,  St.  George's  Chambers, 

10,  St.  George's  crescent,  Liverpool. 
Nov.  25,  1870.     Jones,  Lieut.-Col.    Lewis,  Westgate-on-Sea,  Isle 

of  Thanet. 
June  23,  1876.     Jones,  T.  E.,  46,  Park  street,  Stoke  Newington,  N. 
Jan.  27,  1882.     Jones,    Rev.    T.   R.,   M.A.,   Codicote   Vicarage, 

Welwyn,  Herts. 

May  23,  1873.     Karop,   G.  C,   M.R.C.S.,  &c.  {Hon.  Secretary), 

198,  Holland  road,  Kensington,  W. 

Feb.  21,  1884.     Kell,    F.    W.,    20,    Croftdown    road,    Highgate 

Rise,  N. 

July  25,  1884.     Kern,   J.   J.,   Fern   Glen,   Selhurst  park,  South 

Norwood,  S.E. 

Aug.  23,  1867.     Kiddle,  Edward,  I,  Cleveland  Villas,  Rosemount 

road,  Richmond  hill,  S.W. 

Mar.  19,  1869.     Kilsby,  T.  W.,  4,  Brompton  villas,  Edmonton. 

April  22, 1881.     King,   H.   W.,   The   Cedars,  Upper  Park  road, 

New  Southgate,  N. 

Dec.  23,  1870.     King,  Robert,   F.R.M.S.,   Fern    House,    Upper 

Clapton,  E. 

May  24,  1878.     King,   W.    T.,   M.D.,    M.R.C.S.,    74,    Victoria 

park  road,  South  Hackney,  E. 

Nov.  26,  1880.     Kingsett,  C.  T.,  F.C.S.,  F.l.C. 

Feb.  28,  1873.  Kitsell,  F.  J.,  24,  St.  Stephen's  avenue,  Gold- 
hawk  road,  Shepherd's  Bush,  W. 

Mar.  23,  1877.     Kluht,  H.  J.,  44,  Norfolk  terrace,  Bayswater,  W. 

Oct.  24,  1873.     Knight,  J.  M.,  50,  Bow  road,  E. 

Jan.  24,  1879.     Lancaster,    A.    H.,  7,    Campden    hill  gardens, 

Kensington,  W. 
May  23,  1884.     Lancaster,   E.    Le  Gonier,    16,  Wharton    road, 

West  Kensington  park,  W. 


X 


XV 
Bate  of  Election. 

Mar.  22,  1867.     Lancaster,    Thomas,     Bownham   house,    Stroud, 

Gloucestershire. 
May  28,  1875.     Larkin,  John,  24,  Charterhouse  square,  E.C. 
Nov.  26,  1880.     Larkin,  R.  J.,  98,  Clarence  road,  Lower  Clapton, 

E. 
June  25,  1869.     Layton,  C.  E.,  12,  Upper  Hornsey  rise,  N. 
April  25,  1884.     Lawrence,  T.  W.  P.,   47,  Upper  Bedford  place, 

W.C. 
Aug.  28,  1868.     Leaf,  C.  J.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  &c.  (President  of 

the    Old  Change  Microscopical  Society),  Old 

Change,  E.C. 
Mar.  19,   1869.     Lee,    Henry,    F.L.S.,     F.R.M.S.,    &c.     (Past 

President),     Benton     House,    343,    Brixton 

road,  S.W. 
Feb.  25,  1881.     Leicester,    Alfred,    Lynwood,    Harbord    street, 

"Waterloo,  near  Liverpool. 
Oct.  25,  1867.     Leifchild,   J.    R.,   M.A.,   6,    St.  Lawrence  road, 

Netting  hill,  W. 
Sept.  22,  1865.     Leighton,  W.  H.,  2,  Merton  place,  Chiswick,  W. 
April  27,  1866.     Lewis,   R.    T.,    F.R.M.S.    (Hon.    Reporter),  1, 

Masbro'  road,  Brook  green,  W. 
June  26,  1868.     Lindley,   W.    H.,  jun.,    29,  Blittersdorffs  platz, 

Frankfort-on-Maine. 
Oct.  24,   1884.     Litchfield,  F.,  25,  Addison  gardens,  W. 
May  26,  1871.     Locke,  John,  16,  Georgiana  street,  Camden  town, 

N.W. 
April  23, 1869.     Long,  Henry,  90,  High  street,  Croydon. 
Nov.  24,  1866.     Lovibond,  J.  W.,   F.R.M.S.,  St.  Anne    street, 

Salisbury. 
Sept.  22,  1866.     Lovick,  T.,  53,  Queen's  crescent,  Haverstock  hill, 

N.W. 
April  27,  1866.     Loy,   W.    T.,   F.R.M.S.,  Five  Oaks,   Billings- 
hurst,  Sussex. 

Feb.  21,  1884.     McCrie,     G.,     94,     North      Frederick     street, 

Glasgow. 
Nov.  23,  1866.     Mclntire,    S.   J.,    F.R.M.S.,    14,    Hetley    road, 

Uxb ridge  road,  Shepherd's  Bush,  W. 
Jan.  23,  1880.     Mackenzie,  James,  Warden  villa,  Uxbridge  road, 

Ealing,  W. 


XVI 

Date  of  Election  . 

April  27,  1883.     McManis,  Thos.  John,  95,  Almack  road,  Clapton 

E. 
Jan.  24,  1884.     Macrae,  A.  C,  M.D.,  119,  Westbourne  terrace, 

Hyde  Park,  W. 
June  28,  1878.     Magor,  J.  B.,  L.D.S.,  24,  Chapel  street,  Penzance. 
July  26,  1874.     Magor,  Thomas,  M.D.,  Eagle  Cottage,  Hornsey, 

N. 
May  25,    1883.     Mainland,    G.    E.,    Glenthorp,    Woodside    lane, 

North  Finchley,  N. 
May  25,   1883.     Mais,  H.  T.,  Coathorpe,  M.I.C.E.,  Engineer  in 

Chief,  Adelaide,  South  Australia  (care  of  T. 

Curties,  244,  High  Holborn,  W.C.) 
Sept.  27,  1872.     Manning,  H.  E.,  the  Cardinal  Archbishop,  Arch- 
bishop's house,  Westminster,  S.W. 
July  27,  1883.     Mansfield,   Edward  Joseph,   176,  Everiiig  road, 

Upper  Clapton,  E. 
Jan.  23,  1880.     Martin,  Francis,  K.N.,  Shrub  cottage,   Fairfield 

road,  Old  Charlton,  Kent. 
April  26, 1867.     Matthews,    G.    K.,  St.  John's  lodge,  Beckenham 

Kent. 
Oct.  26,  1866.     Matthews,  John,  M.D.,  F.B.M.S.,  {V.P.  &  Past 

President))  30,  Colebrook  row,  Islington,  N. 
May  26,   1871.     May,  J.  W.,  F.E.M.S.,   Arundel  House,  Percy 

cross,  Fulham,  S.W. 
Feb.  25,  1876.     May,  W.  K.,  52,  Malvern  road,  Dalston,  E. 
Mar.  22,  1867.     Meacher,  J.  W.,  10,   Hillmaiten  road,   Camden 

road,  N. 
Feb.  28,  1879.     Menzies,  James,  13,  Leighton  grove,  N.W. 
May  22,  1874.     Messenger,  G.  A.,  Lloyds,  E.C. 
July  27,  1877.     Michael,  A.  D.,  F.L.S.,  F.R.M.S.  (President), 

Cadogan  Mansions,  Sloane  square,  Chelsea, 

S.W. 
May  28,  1880.     Miles,  Andrew,  19,   Commercial  road,  Camber- 
well,  S.E. 
July   7,  1865.     Millett,  F.  W.,  F.R.M.S.,  Marazion,  Cornwall. 
Oct.  22,  1880.     Milner,   W.  E.,  47,  Park  road,   Haverstock  hill, 

N.W. 
Sept.  22, 1882.     Moore,  George,  7,  Draper's  gardens,  Throgmor- 

ton  street,  E.C. 
Jan.  23,  1874.     Moreland,  Eichard,  jun.,  M.I.C.E.,  F^Tv.M.S.,  4, 

The  Quadrant,  Highbury,  N. 


XVII 
Date  of  Election. 

July  26,  1878.     Morland,  Henry,  Cranford,  near  Hounslow. 

Oct.  27,  1866.     Morrieson,  Colonel  R.,  F.R.M.S.,  Oriental  Club, 

Hanover  square,  W. 
Jan.  24,  1879.     Murray,  James,   Osborne  house,  50,  Percy  road, 

Shepherd's  bush,  W. 

Feb.  22,  1878.     Needham,  S.  H.,  F.R.G.S.,  F.G.S.,  33,  Somer- 

fleld  road,  Finsbury  Park,  N. 
Mar.  24,  1876.     Nelson,  E.  M.,  Cleve  house,  West  End  lane,  West 

Hampstead,  N.W. 
Mar.  24,  1871.     Nelson  James,  328,  Kennington  road,  S.E. 
Nov.  25,  1881.     Nevins,  R.  T.  G.,  80,  Tufnell  park  road,  N. 
Jan.  26,  1872.     Newton,    E.    T.,    F.G.S.,    Geological    Museum, 

Jermyn  street,  S.W. 
Feb.  27,1880.     Niven,  George,  Bank  of  Australia,  1,  Bishopsgate 

street  within,  E.C. 
May  22,  1874.     Nixon,  P.  C,  Oporto,  Portugal. 
Aug.  26,  1881.     Northey,  M.  D.,  4,  Lower  Brighton  terrace,  Sur- 

biton. 

Jan.  24,  1879.     Offord,  J.  M.,  6,  Boundary  road,  St.  John's  Wood, 

N.W. 
Dec.  22,  1876.     Ogilvy,   C.  P.,  F.L.S.,    Sizewell  house,  Leiston, 

near  Saxmundham,  Suffolk. 
May  24,  1878.     O'Hara,  Lt.-Col.  Richard,  F.R.M.S.,  (late  Royal 

Artillery),  West  Lodge,  Galway. 
Dec.  28,  1883.  Oliver,  J.,  123,  Stamford  street,  S.E. 
June  23,  1882.     Ollard,  John  Alex.,  F.R.M.S.,  Barnesfield,  Stone, 

Greenhithe,  Kent. 
July  28,  1882.     Ondaajte,  Dr.  W.  C.,  F.R.M.S.,  Galle,  Ceylon. 
Dec.  27,  1867.     Oxley,  Frederick,   F.R.M.S.,   8,    Crosby  square, 

Bishopsgate  street,  E.C. 

July  25,  1879.     Palmer,  G.  H.,  95,  Cornwall  Gardens,  S.W. 
July  24,  1885.     Parker,   J.  A.    D.,    Sunny  hill,   Camden    park? 

Chislehurst. 
Mar.  27,  1885.     Parritt,  H.  W.,  97,  Camden  street,  N.W. 
Oct.  27,  1871.     Parsons,  F.  A.,  90,  Leadenhall  street,  E.C. 
Dec.  28,  1877.     Partridge,  Thos.,  M.D.,  Stroud,  Gloucestershire. 
April  23, 1875.     Peal,  C.  N.,  F.R.M.S.,  Fernhurst,  Mattock  lane, 

Ealing,  W. 


XV111 
Date  of  Election. 

Fob.  23,  1883.     Pearcc,    Fredk.  Ernest,  14,    Bloomsbury   street, 

w.c. 

May  24,  1867.     Pearson  John,  3.  Westbourne  Grove,  W. 

July  22,  1881.     Perigal,  Henry,    F.R.A.S.,  F.E.M.S.,  9,  North 

crescent,  Bedford  square,  W.C. 

Oct.  24,  1884.     Petty,  T.,  Deddington,  Oxon. 

Oct.  27,  1865.     Pickard,  J.  F.,  195,  Great  Portland  street,  W. 

May  23,  1879.  Pilcher,  W.  J.,  F.R.C.S.,  &c,  Boston,  Lincoln- 
shire. 

June  24, 1881.     Pilley,  J.  J.,  8,  Ellesmere  road,  north,  Bow,  E., 

and  the  Old  College,  Dulwich. 

Jan.  22,  1869.     Pillischer,    Moritz,    F.R.M.S.,    88,  New    Bond 

street,  W. 

Sept.  27,  1878.     Plomer,  G.   D.,  F.R.M.S.,  48,   Springfield  road, 

St.  John's  Wood,  N.W. 

Nov.  23,  1883.     Plowman,  T.,  junr.,  St.  Mellim,  Bush  Hill  park, 

Enfield. 

Sept.  28,1877.     Pocklington,  Henry,  F.R.M.S.,  20,  Park  road, 

Leeds. 

May  22,  1885.     Pocock,  P.  W.,  Remington  villa,  Egham,  Surrey. 

July  24,  1885.     Porter,  J.  L.  M.,  8,  Wood  vale,  Forest  hill,  S.E. 

Nov.  23,  1866.     Potter  George,  F.R.M.S.,  42,  Grove  road,  Hol- 

loway,  N. 

Jan.  25,  1878.     Potts,  R.  A.,  26,  South  Audley  street,  W. 

June  24, 1881.     Potts,  William,  Hillside  avenue,  Beckenham,  Kent. 

June  22, 1866.     Powe,  I.,  76,  St.  George's  street,  Richmond, Surrey. 

Aug.  25,  1882.    Powell,  George,  86,  Avondale  square.  S.E. 

April  25,  1879.     Powell,  H.  P.,  Mill  Piatt,  Isleworth. 

May  26,  1876.     Powell,  J.  T.,  32,  Dunlace  road,  Lower  Clapton, 

E. 

July    7,   1865.     Powell,  Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  18,   Doughty  street, 

Mecklenburg  square,  W.C. 

June  27,  1873.     Priest,  B.  W.,  22,  Parliament  street,  S.W. 

May  23,  1879.     Pritchard,  J.  D.,  Crymlyn  Burrows,  near  Swansea. 

July  26,  1867.  Pritchett,  Francis,  Clifford  House,  South  Nor- 
wood Park,  S.E. 

Feb.  25,  1881.     Probyn,  Clifford,  55,  Grosvenor  street,  W. 

April  23,  1868.     Quekett,  A.  J.  S.,  51,  Warwick  road,  Maidahill,W. 
April  23, 1868.     Quekett,  A.  E.,  51,  Warwick  road,  Maida  hill,  W. 


XIX 

Date  of  Election. 

April  23, 1868.     Quekett,  Rev.  Win.,  The  Rectory,  Warrington. 
Feb.  23,  1866.     Quick,  G.  E.,  74,  Long  lane,  Bermondsey,  S.E. 

Oct.  26,  1866.     Rabbits,  W.  T.,  Irongates,  Dacres  road,   Forest 

hill,  S.E. 
June  25, 1875.     Radford,  W.  8.,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S.,  Sidmouth. 
Oct.  26,  1866.     Ramsden,     Hildebrand,      M.A.    Cant.,    F.L.S., 

F.R.M.S.,  26,  Upper  Bedford  place,  Russell 

square,  W.C. 
Aug.  28,  1868.     Ranee,  T.  G.,  Elmside,  Bickley,  Kent. 
June  24,  1881.     Ransom,  F.,  Fairfield,  Hitchin. 
Dec.  27,  1878.     Reed,  J.  M.,  Sidmouth  house,  South  park,  Ilford , 

E. 
June  22,  1877.     Reed,  J.  W.,  F.R.G.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  17,  Colebrooke 

row,  Islington,  N. 
June  27,  1873.     Reeve,  Frederick,  113,  Clapham  road,  S.W. 
July     7,1865.     Reeves,   W.    W.,   F.R.M.S.,   32,    Geneva   road, 

Brixton,  S.W. 
Oct.  28,  1881.     Reynolds,  W.  P.,  74,  King  William  street,  E.C. 
May  22,  1885.     Rhein,  W.,  22,  Milman  street,  Bedford  Row,  W.C. 
May  23,  1879.     Rideout,  William,  F.R.M.S.,  {Hon.   Sec.  Bolton 

Microscopical   Club),   Seymour  road,  Astley 

road,  Bolton. 
May  22,  1868.     Rogers,  John,    F.R.M.S.,    4,    Tennyson    street, 

Nottingham. 
Oct.  26,  1866.     Rogers,  Thomas.  F.L.S.,    F.R.M.S.,   Selmeston 

house,  Thurlow  park  road,  West  Dulwich. 
May  22,  1868.     Roper,  Freeman,  C.S.,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,  F.R.M.S., 

Palgrave  house,  Eastbourne,  Sussex. 
June  23,  1876.     Roper,    H.    J.,    F.R.M.3.,    7,    Carlton    grove, 

Peckham,  S.E. 
Oct.  27,  1876.     Roper,  Robert,  29,  Hampton  road,  Upton,  Essex- 
Jan.  24,  1884.     Rosseter,  T.  B.,  F.R.M.S.,  Fleur  de  Lis  Hotel, 

Canterbury. 
Jan.  26,  1883.     Rousselet,  Charles,  42,  Welbeck  street,  W. 
July  24,  1868.     Rowe,  James,  jun.,  M.R.C.V.S.,  65,  High  street, 

Marylebone,  W. 
Oct.  27,  1865.     Russell,  James,  10,  High  street,  Shoreditch,  E. 
May  22,  1868.     Russell,  T.  D.,  Coningsby  villas,  Rosendale  road, 

West  Dulwich,  S.E. 


XX 

Date  of  Election. 

Feb.  22,  1867.     Rutter,  H.  L.,  24,  Crownhurst  road,  Angel  road, 

Brixton,  S.W. 

Nov.  22,  1878.     Sabel,    E.    E.,    6,    Grove    road,  Clapham  park, 

S.W. 
July  24,  1885.     Sadgrove,  A.  G.,    Tower    Chambers,    Moorgate 

street,  E.C. 
May  23,  1873.     Salkeld,  Lt.-Col.  J.  C,  F.R.M.S.,  29,  St.  James's 

street,  S.W. 
Dec.  17,  1869.     Salmon,  John,  24,  Seymour  street,  Euston  square, 

N.W. 
Dec.  28,  1877.     Sands,  Charles,  5,  Woburn  place,  Russell  square., 

W.C. 
Nov.  28,  1884.     Sanford,  P.  G.,  Laboratory,  London  Hospital,  E. 
June  27,  1879.     Sawyer,  G.  D.,  F.R.M.S.,  55,  Buckingham  place, 

Brighton. 
Feb.  27,  1880.     Schulze,  Adolf,  1,  St.  James's  street,  Hillhead, 

Glasgow,  N.B. 
Feb.  26,  1875.     Scofield,  W.  J.,  M.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,19,  Grosvenor, 

Bath. 
Mar.  24,  1882.     Selby,  H.,  100,  Netherwood  road,  W. 
July  27,  1868.     Sewell,  Richard,  Ashmare   house,  Keston,  Kent. 
May  25,  1883.     Sharer,  W.  R.,  60,  Thornhill  square,  Barnsbury, 

N. 
July  23,  1880.     Shaw,  H.  V.,  Fir  Croft,  Keymer,  Hurstpierpoint, 

Sussex. 
Oct.  22,  1869.     Shaw,  W.  F.,  Mosshall  grove,  Finchley,  N. 
May  26,  1876.     Shepheard,  Thomas,  F.R.M.S.,  Kingsley  lodge, 

Chester. 
May  26,  1871.     Sigsworth,  J.  C,  F.R.M.S.,  43,    South  Eaton 

place,  S.W. 
June  27,  1873.     Simmonds,  J.   E.,  Royal  Exotic  Nursery,  King's 

road,  Chelsea,  S.W. 
Aug.  23,  1867.     Simmons,    J.  J.,  L.D.S.,   18,  Burton   crescent, 

Euston  road,  N.W. 
Oct.  28,  1881.     Simons,  W.  V.,  Nilgiri  house,  Baldwin  crescent, 

Camberwell,  S.E. 
May  26,  1876.     Simpson,  Edward,  24,  Grummant  road,  Peckham 

road,  S.E. 
Feb.  23,  1883.     Simpson,  Isaac,  1,  Junction  road,  Upper  Hollo- 
way,  N. 


XXI 

Date  of  Election. 


x 


Nov.  23,  1877.     Simpson,  T.,  Fernymere,  Castlebar,  Ealing,  W. 
Mar.  27,  1868.     Simson,    Thomas,    St.    Peter's    alley,    Cornhill, 

E.C. 
Dec.   28,  1S66.     Slade,  J.,  Albion  road,  Bexley  heath,  Kent. 
Oct.    23,  1868.     Smart,  William,  27,  Aldgate,  E. 
May  25,  1866.     Smith,  Alpheus  (Hon.  Librarian) ,  39,  Choumert 

road,  Rye  lane,  Peckham,  S.E. 
April  23,  1880.     Smith,  A.  S.,  Silvermere,  Cobham,  Surrey. 
Mar.  25,  1870.     Smith,  F.  L.,  3,   Grecian  cottages,   Crown  hill, 

Norwood,  S.E. 
June  27,  1873.     Smith,  G.  J.,  F.R.M.S.,   73,  Farringdon  street, 

E.C. 
Oct.  26,  1877.     Smith,    Samuel,   Maldon   House,   17,    Sydenham 

park,  S.E. 
Mar.  24,  1882.     Smith,  W '.    Dalton,   2,    Craigs    court,  Charing 

Cross,  S.W. 
Aug.  23,  1872.     Smith,  W.  S.,  30,  Loraine  road,  Holloway,  N. 
Aug.  22,  1884.     Smithson,  T.  S.,  Facit,  Rochdale. 
Nov.  28,  1884.     Snell,   F.  A.,   The  Chestnuts,  Chislehurst. 
April  24,  1868.     Snellgrove,    W.,   58,   Cranfield  road,    Wickham 

park,  S.E. 
Sept.  22,  1865.     Southwell,  C,  44,  Princes  street,  Soho,  W. 
May  26,  1876.     Southwell,   C.  W.,    35,   Douglas    road,  Canon- 
bury,  N. 
May  22,  1874.     Spencer,  James,  F.R.M.S.,  121,  Lewisham  road, 

Lewisham. 
June  26,  1868.     Spencer,   John,     Brooks'    Bank,    81,     Lombard, 

street,  E.C. 
Dec.  28,  1883.     Spetch,R.  J.,  1,  Mitre  Court,  Wood  street,  E.C. 
Mar.  27,  1885.     Squire,  P.  W.,  F.L.S.,  F.C.S.,  40,  Avenue  road, 

Regent's  Park,  N.W. 
Feb.  21,  1884.     Steele,  F.,    M.R.C.S.,    22,    Bloomsbury   street, 

W.C. 
Feb.  27,1885.     Stephenson,   J.  W.,  F.RA.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  186, 

Clapham  road,  S.W. 
Aug.  24,  1866.     Steward,  J.  H.,  F.R.M.S.,  406,  Strand,  W.C. 
June  22,  1877.     Stewart,    Charles,    M.R.C.S.,  F.L.S.,    (Sec. 

R.M.S.),  &c.  (Vice-President,),  42,  Sinclair 

road,  Kensington,  W. 
May  23, 1879.     Stocken,  James,  21,  Endsleigh  gardens,  N.W. 


XXII 
Date  of  Election. 

June  24,  1881.     Stokes,  A.  W.,  F.C.S.,  Laboratory,  Vestry  hall, 

Paddington,  W. 
July  25,  1879.     Stone,  E.  M.,  Curunor,  Lawrie  park,  Sydenham, 

S.E. 
May  23,  1879.     Stubbins,  John,  F.G.S.,   F.R.M.S.,  Inglebank, 

Far  Headingley,  Leeds. 
Sept.  23,  1881.     Sturt,  Gerald,  27,  Gordon  square,  W.C. 
July    7,  1865.     Suffolk,    W.  T.,   F.R.M.S.,    Stettin    lodge,    St. 

Faith's  road,  Lower  Norwood,  S.E. 
June  27,  1873.     Suter,     E.     D.,     Parkfield,      Alexandra    park, 

Hastings. 
June  24,  1870.     Swain,  Ernest,    17,    Tadnior  street,   Shepherd's 

Bush,  W. 
Nov.  22,  1867.     Swainston,  J.  T.,  3,  St.  Mark's  square,  Regent's 

park,  N.W. 
Nov.  24,  1866.     Swansborough,  E.,  20,  John  street,  Bedford  row, 

W.C. 
Dec.  17,  1875.     Swift,  M.  J.,  81,  Tottenham  court  road,  W.C. 
Jan.  23,  1880.     Symons,  W.  H.,  F.C.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  130,  Fellowes 

road,  South  Hampstead,  N.W. 

July  27,  1877.     Tanqueray,   A.  C,   Reid's  Brewery,  Theobald's 

road,  E.C. 
Nov.  28,  1879.     Tasker,  J.  G.,  18,   Junction  road,  Upper  Hollo- 

way,  N. 
May  22,  1868.     Tatem,  J.  G.,  Russell  street,  Reading. 
Feb.  25,  1881.     Taylor,    Thomas,    M.R.C.S.,   L.A.C.,  Rocking, 

near  Braintree,  Essex. 
Aug.  23,  1878.     Teasdale,    Washington,    F.R.M.S.,    Rosehurst, 

Headingley,  Leeds. 
Dec.  22,  1865.     Terry,  John,  4,  Coventry  park,  Streatham,  S.W. 
Aug.  23,  1872.     Terry,  Thomas,  5,  Austin  friars,  E.C. 
Mar.  27,  1885.     Thomas,  J.  T.  N.,  "  Rossie,"  Crosbie  road  south, 

Waterloo,  Liverpool. 
May  23,  1879.     Thompson,  I.  C,  F.R.M.S.,  Woodstock,  Waver- 

ley  road,  Liverpool. 
May  28,  1875.     Thomson,   J.  R.,   15,  Highbury  place,  Islington, 

N. 
Feb.  24,  1871.     Thornthwaite,    W.    H.,    Willow    Bridge    road, 

Canonbury,  N. 


XX111 
Date  of  Election. 

Oct.  27,  1882.     Thurston,   Edgar,    L.R.C.P.,    L.S.A.,    A.K.C., 

King's  College,  Stroud. 

May  23,  1884.  Tipple,  A.  C,  35,  Alexander  road,  Upper  Hollo- 
way,  N. 

June  23,  1871.     Topping,  Amos,  28,  Charlotte  street,  Caledonian 

road,  N. 

June  23,  1882.     Trinder,  Stephen,  90,  Morton  road,  Islington,  N. 

June  27,  1884,     Tress,  S.  C,  West  lodge,  Clapham  park,  S.W. 

July  24,  1868.     Tulk,  John  A.,  M.D.,  F.R.M.S.,  Cowley  house, 

Chertsey. 

July  26,  1867.     Turnbull,   J.,  Laurel  house,   North  hill,  High. 

gate,  N. 

Aug.  24,  1877.     Turner,  E.  B.,  Francis  road,  Leyton,  Essex. 

June  25,  1875.     Turner,  Sydney,  A.R.I.B.A. 

Feb.  25,  1881.     Tyler,  Charles,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,   F.R.M.S.,  317, 

Holloway  road,  N. 

Feb.  27,  1885.     Upton,  C,  25,  Mayola  road,  Clapton,  E. 

May  25,  1877.     Veasey,    R.    G.,    Ashchurch   lodge,   Ashchurch 

road,  Shepherd's  bush,  W. 
Feb.  28,  1879.     Venables,  W.,  95,  Elgin  road,  St.   Peter's  park, 

Harrow  road,  W. 
Feb.  27,  1880.     Vereker,     The    Hon.    J.    G.    P.,     1,    Portman 

square,  W. 
May  23,  1879.     Yezey,   J.  J.,   F.R.M.S.,   12,  Sandbourne  road, 

Brockley  rise,  S.E. 
Mar.  24,  1882.     Vicars,  John,  7,  Harrington  road,  Liverpool. 

June  25,  1880.     Waddington,  H.  J.,  39,  Gower  street,  W.C. 
Mar.  27,  1885.     Wainwright,  C.  J.,  Elmhurst,  East  Finchley,  N. 
Feb.  27,  1874.     Walker,   J.  C,  Highfield  avenue  road,   Crouch 

end,  N. 
July  25,  1873.     Walker,  J.  S.,  Warwick  road,  Upper  Clapton,  E. 
Feb.  27,  1885.     Wall,  P.  W.,  M.I.C.E.,  F.G.S.,  9,  Duke  street, 

Portland  place,  W. 
May  22,  1868.     Waller,  J.  G.,  68,  Bolsover  street,  Portland  road, 

W. 
Feb.  27,  1885.     Ward,    A.    H.,    3,    Mansfield    street,    Portland 

place,  W. 


XXI V 
Date  of  Election. 


Nov.  22,  18G7.     Ward,   F.   H,,  M.R.C.S.,  F.R.M.S.,  Springfield 

bouse,  near  Tooting,  S.W. 
Feb.  25,  1881.     Ward,  J.   D.,   Northwood   lodge,  Cowes,   Isle  of 

Wight. 
June  28,  1878.     Ward,  R.  J.,  Silver  street,  Lincoln. 
Oct.  27,  1865.     Watkins,    C.    A.,    Eosemont,    Greenbill   road, 

Hampstead,  N.W. 
Sept.  28,  1877.     Watson,  T.  P.,  F.R.M.S.,  313,  Higb  Holborn, 

w.c. 

Sept.  26,  1884.     Watson,  W.,  313,  High  Holborn,  W.C. 

May  23,  1879.     Watts,  Tbe  Rev.  G.  E.,  M.A.,  F.R.M.S.,  Kens- 
worth  vicarage,  Dunstable,  Herts. 

Dec.  28,  1866.     Way,  T.  E.,  Argyll  road,  Ealing,  W. 

Oct.  26,  1877.     Weatherley,  Capt.  H.  C.  6.,  64,  Cheapside,  E.C. 

July  24, 1874.     Webb,    C.   E.,    Wildwood    lodge,    North    end/ 

Hampstead,  N.W. 

April  25,  1879.     Webster,  H.  W.,  M.D.,  St.  George's  Infirmary, 

Fulliam  road,  S.W. 

May  24,  1867.     Weeks,    A.  W.    G.,  36,    Gunter   grove,   West 

Brompton,  S.W. 

July  25, 1884.     Wellington,  R.    H.,    38,    Fellow's   road,  South 

Hampstead,  N.W. 

May  23,  1884.     West,  C,  7,  Park  row,  Blackheath,  S.E. 

May  26,  1882.     Western,  George  E.,   27,   Strawberry  hill  road, 

Twickenham. 

Feb.  25,  1876.     Wheeler,  George,   9,    Cloudesley  square,  Barns- 
bury,  N. 

May  23,  1879.     Wheldon,    John,    F.R.M.S.,    58,    Great    Queen 

street,  Lincoln's  Inn  Fields,  W.C. 

Sept,  23,  1881.     Whelpton,   E.   S.,  B.A.   Cantab.,  Boyland   Oak, 

S treatb am  hill,  S.W. 

May  22,  1868.     White,  T.   Charters,  M.R.C.S.,   L.D.S.,  F.L.S., 

F.R.M.S.    (Past  President),    32,    Belgrave 
road,  S.W. 

Aug.  22, 1879.     Whittell,    H.    T.,    M.D.,   F.R.M.S.,    Board    of 

Health ,  Adelaide,  South  Australia. 

June  25,  1880.     Wickes,      W.     D.,    32,      Burlington     gardens, 

Acton,  W. 

Mar.  25,  1881.     Wildy,   Arthur,  48,   Albion  road,  South  Hamp- 
stead, N.W. 


XXV 

Date  of  Election. 

April  23,1880.     Williams,  Arthur,  48,  Osnaburg  street,  Eegent's 

park,  N.W. 
July  28,  1882.     Williams,   Benjamin,  3,  Comberton  road,  Upper 

Clapton,  E. 
Mar.  24,  1871.     Williams,   George,    F.R.M.S.,   135,   Coningham 

road,  Shepherd's  bush,  W. 
Nov.  23,  1877.     Williams,  G.  S.,  20,  Oxford  road,  Kilburn,  N.W. 
May  22,  1885.     Williams,  T.,  31,  High  street,  Kensington,  W. 
June  27,  1879.     Willson,   James,  2,    Oval  road,   Regent's  park, 

N.W. 
Feb.  22, 1867.     Wilson  Frank,  110,  Long  acre,  W.C. 
Oct.  24,  1884.     Wilson,  W.,  8,  Mildmay  Park,  N. 
April  23,  1880.     Winney,  H.  J.,  1,  Snorter's  court,  Throgmorton 

street,  E.C. 
Aug.  2  7,1869.     Woods,  W.  Fell,  1,  Park  hill,  Forest  hill,    S.E. 
Feb.  27,  1885.     Woodward,    B.    H.,    F.R.M.S.,    80,    Petherton 

road,  Highbury  New  Park,  N. 
Jan.  28,  1876.     Woollett,  John,  58,  Cloudesley  road,  Islington,  N. 
Oct.  25,  1867.     Worthington,  Richard,  Champion  park,  Denmark 

hill,  S.E. 
June  27,  1873.     Wrey,  G.  E.  B.,  Addington  house,   Addington 

road,  Reading. 
Aug.  22, 1879,     Wright,    B.    M.,    54,    Guilford   street,    Russell 

square,  W.C. 

May  25,  1877.     Yates,  Francis,  Rockwood,  Surbiton  hill. 
Jan.  25,  1878.     Yates,  Robert,  64,  Park  street,  Southwark,  S.E. 
June  22, 1883.     Young,  William  Martin,  16,  Maclise  road,  West 

Kensington  park,  W. 


NOTICE. 

Members  are  requested  to  give  early  information  to  one  of  the  Hon. 
Secretaries  of  any  change  of  residence,  so  as  to  prevent  miscarriage  of 
Journals  and  Circulars. 


XXVI 


RULES. 


It — That  the  Quekett  Microscopical  Club  hold  its  meetings  at 
University  College,  Gower  Street,  on  the  fourth  Friday  Evening 
in  every  month,  at  Eight  o'clock  precisely,  or  at  such  other  time  or 
place  as  the  Committee  may  appoint. 

II. — That  the  business  of  the  Club  be  conducted  by  a  Com- 
mittee, consisting  of  a  President,  four  Vice-Presidents,  an  Honorary 
Treasurer,  one  or  more  Honorary  Secretaries,  an  Honorary 
Secretary  for  Foreign  Correspondence,  an  Honorary  Reporter,  an 
Honorary  Librarian,  an  Honorary  Curator,  and  twelve  other 
Members, — six  to  form  a  quorum.  That  the  Presidents,  Vice- 
Presidents,  Treasurer,  Secretaries,  Reporter,  Librarian,  Curator, 
and  the  four  senior  Members  of  the  Committee  (by  election)  retire 
annually,  but  be  eligible  for  re-election.  That  the  Committee  may 
appoint  a  stipendiary  Assistant- Secretary,  who  shall  be  subject  to 
its  direction. 

III. — That  at  the  ordinary  Meeting  in  June  nominations  be 
made  of  Candidates  to  fill  the  offices  of  President,  Vice-Presidents, 
Treasurer,  Secretaries,  Reporter,  Librarian,  Curator,  and  vacancies 
on  the  Committee.  That  the  President,  Vice-Presidents* 
Treasurer,  Secretaries,  Reporter,  Librarian,  and  Curator  be 
nominated  by  the  Committee.  That  the  nominations  for  Members 
of  Committee  be  made  by  the  Members  on  resolutions  duly 
moved  and  seconded,  no  Member  being  entitled  to  propose  more 
than  one  Candidate.  That  a  list  of  all  nominations  made  as 
above  be  printed  upon  the  ballot  paper  ;  the  nominations  for 
vacancies  upon  the  Committee  being  arranged  in  such  order  as 
shall  be  determined  by  lot,  as  drawn  by  the  President  and  Secre- 
tary. That  at  the  Annual  General  Meeting  in  July  all  the  above 
Officers  be  elected  by  ballot  from  the  Candidates  named  in  the  lists, 
but  any  Member  is  at  liberty  to  substitute  on  his  ballot  paper  any 
other  name  or  names  in  lieu  of  those  nominated  for  the  offices 
of  President,  Vice-Presidents,  Treasurer,  Secretaries,  Reporter, 
Librarian,  and  Curator. 


XXV11 

IV. — That  in  the  absence  of  the  President  and  Vice-Presidents 
the  Members  present  at  any  ordinary  Meeting  of  the  Club  elect  a 
Chairman  for  that  evening. 

V. — That  every  Candidate  for  Membership  be  proposed  by  two 
or  more  Members,  who  shall  sign  a  certificate  (see  Appendix)  in 
recommendation  of  him — one  of  the  proposers  from  personal 
knowledge.  The  certificate  shall  be  read  from  the  chair,  and  the 
Candidate  therein  recommended  balloted  for  at  the  following 
Meeting.     Three  black  balls  to  exclude. 

VI. — That  the  Club  include  not  more  than  twenty  Honorary 
Members,  elected  by  the  Members  by  ballot  upon  the  recommenda- 
tion of  the  Committee. 

VII. — That  the  Annual  Subscription  be  Ten  Shillings,  payable 
in  advance  on  the  1st  of  July,  but  that  any  Member  elected  in 
May  or  June  be  exempt  from  subscription  until  the  following  July. 
That  any  Member  desirous  of  compounding  for  his  future  sub- 
scription may  do  so  at  any  time  by  payment  of  the  sum  of  Ten 
Pounds  ;  all  such  sums  to  be  duly  invested  in  such  manner  as 
the  Committee  shall  think  fit.  That  no  person  be  entitled  to  the 
full  privileges  of  the  Club  until  his  subscription  shall  have  been 
paid  ;  and  that  any  Member  omitting  to  pay  his  subscription  six 
months  after  the  same  shall  have  become  due  (two  applications  in 
writing  having  been  made  by  the  Treasurer)  shall  cease  to  be  a 
Member  of  the  Club. 

VIII. --That  the  accounts  of  the  Club  be  audited  by  two  Mem- 
bers, to  be  appointed  at  the  ordinary  Meeting  in  June. 

IX. — That  the  Annual  General  Meeting  be  held  on  the  fourth 
Friday  in  July,  at  which  the  Report  of  the  Committee  on  the 
affairs  of  the  Club,  and  the  Balance  Sheet,  duly  signed  by  the 
Auditors,  shall  be  read.  Printed  lists  of  Members  nominated 
for  election  as  President,  Vice-Presidents,  Treasurer,  Secretaries, 
Reporter,  Librarian,  Curator,  and  Members  of  the  Committee 
having  been  distributed,  and  the  Chairman  having  appointed  two 
or  more  members  to  act  as  Scrutineers,  the  Meeting  shall  then 
proceed  to  ballot.  If  from  any  cause  these  elections,  or  any  of 
them,  do  not  take  place  at  this  meeting,  they  shall  be  made  at  the 
next  ordinary  Meeting  of  the  Club. 


XXV111 

X. — Tli.it  at  the  ordinary  meetings  the  following  business  be 
transacted  : — The  minutes  of  the  last  Meeting  shall  be  read  and 
confirmed  ;  donations  to  the  Club,  since  the  last  Meeting,  announced 
and  exhibited ;  ballots  for  new  Members  taken  ;  papers  read  and 
discussed  ;  and  certificates  for  new  Members  read  ;  after  which 
the  Meeting  shall  resolve  itself  into  a  Conversazione. 

XI. — That  any  Member  may  introduce  a  Visitor  at  any  ordinary 
Meeting,  who  shall  enter  his  name  with  that  of  the  Member  by 
whom  he  is  introduced  in  a  book  to  be  kept  for  the  purpose. 

XII. — That  no  alteration  be  made  in  these  Rules,  except  at  an 
Annual  General  Meeting,  or  a  Special  General  Meeting  called  for 
that  purpose  ;  and  that  notice  in  writing  of  any  proposed  alteration 
be  given  to  the  Committee,  and  read  at  the  ordinary  Meeting  at 
least  a  month  previous  to  the  Annual  or  Special  Meeting  at  which 
the  subject  of  such  alteration  is  to  be  considered. 


APPENDIX. 


Form  of  Proposal  for   Membership. 


Quekett  Microscopical  Club. 

Mr. 

of 

being  desirous   of  becoming   a  Member  of  this  Club,  we  beg  to 

recommend  him  for  election. 

(On  my  personal  knowledge.) 

This  Certificate  was  read  18 

The  Ballot  will  take  place  i  18 


XXIX 


MEETINGS 


OF    THE 


QUEKETT    MICROSCOPICAL    CLUB,    1885-6. 


AT 


UNIVERSITY     COLLEGE,     GOWER    STREET, 


ON     THE 

Second  and  Fourth  Fridays  of  every 

Month. 

1885. — Friday,  August             

14  ...  28 

September 

•  •                     •  •  • 

11  ...  25 

October 

»  •  «                     •  •  • 

<)   ...   —  0 

November 

•  •                      •  •  • 

13  ...  27 

December 

•  •                     •  •  • 

11  ...  * 

1886. — Friday,   January 

•  •                      •  •  • 

o  ...  2'2 

February 

•  •                     •  •  • 

12  ...  26 

March 

•  •                     •  •  • 

12  ...  26 

April 

»  •  •                     •  •  • 

J    ...    Zo 

May 

»  •                     •  •  • 

14  ...  28 

June 

•  •                     •  •  • 

11  ...  25 

July 

•  •                      •  •  • 

J    ...    —  0 

*  Christmas  day — no 

meeting. 

The  Ordinary  Meetings   are  held   on  the  fourth  Friday  in 
each  month.     Proceedings  begin  at  Eight  o'clock  p.m. 

The  Meetings  on  the  second  Friday  in  each    month    are  for 
Conversation  and  Exhibition  of  Objects,  from  7  to  9.30  p.m. 

The  Annual  General  Meeting  will  be  held   on  July   23rd, 
1886,  at  Eight  o'clock,  for  Election  of  Officers  and  other  business. 


XXX 


EXCURSIONS,     1885. 


April     18.     ROYAL  BOTANIC  GARDENS.   To  meet  at  the 

entrance  at  3  p.m. 

AriuL  25.  WOODSIDE  PARK,  for  TOTTERIDGE,  return- 
ing by  Mill  Hill.  To  meet  at  Broad  Street 
Station. 

May  9.     BROMLEY,  for  KESTON.     To  meet  at   Holborn 

Viaduct  Station. 

May       23.     DAY  EXCURSION,  WHITSTABLE.     To  meet 

at  Holborn  Viaduct  Station,  10  a.m.,  or  next 
later  Train.  (Notice  should  be  given  to  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Excursions  Sub-Committee  to  obtain 
reduction  of  Fares.} 

June       13.     STAINES.      To   meet   at   Waterloo,    Loop   Line 

Station. 

June  27.  EXCURSIONISTS'  ANNUAL  DINNER.  Ar- 
rangements will  be  duly  announced. 

July       11.     WATFORD,  for  RICKMANSWORTH.     To  join 

the  Hertfordshire  Natural  History  Society.  To 
meet  at  Broad  Street  Station. 

July       25.     SHEPPERTON,   for   WALTON.      To    join    the 

Richmond  Atliena?um  Field  Club.  To  meet  at 
Waterloo,  Loop  Line  Station. 

Aug.       29.     CATERHAM,   for    GODSTONE.      To   join   the 

Croydon  Club.  To  meet  at  Cannon  Street 
Station. 

Sept.      12.     RICHMOND.      To  meet  at  Waterloo,  Loop  Line 

Station. 

Sept.      26.     HALE  END.   To  meet  at  Liverpool  Street  Station. 

Oct,  10.  MITCHAM  JUNCTION,  for  MITCHAM  COM- 
MON. To  join  the  Croydon  Club.  To  meet  at 
London  Bridge  Station.     South  London  Line. 

The  time  for  departure   from   Town,  unless  otherwise  specified, 
will  be  the  First  Train  after  TWO  o'clock. 

W.  G.  Cocks,  F.  W.  Hembry, 

Edw.  Dadswell,  J.  T.  Powell, 

C.  J.  Dunning,  Chas.  Rousselet, 
J.  D.  Hardy,  4 

Fredk.  A.  Parsons,  Hon.  Sec.  Excursions  Sub-Committee, 

25,  Great  Percy  Street,  W.C. 


Excursions 
Sub-Committee. 


N 


-u 


MBLWHOI  LIBRARY 


u 


HLJLflXl    b